Section   Cites  . 


u 


Dear  Friend: — I  have  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  sending  for 
your  Sunday  School  or  Public  Library,  a  copy  of  the  new  vol- 
ume, entitled,  "The  Choctaw  Freedmen  and  the  Bible  in  the 
Public  Schools;"  indulging  the  hope  that  at  least  its  chapters. 
3,  7,  47,  and  48,  relating  to  the  use  of  the  Bible  in  all  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  our  land,  will  be  read  with  interest  and  great 
profit  by  many  of  the  young  people — especially  those  who 
are  preparing  to  teach,  either  in  the  Sunday  or  Public 
Schools.  The  story  of  the  events  narrated  in  these  chapters 
radiates  a  very  illuminating  light,  that  is  greatly  needed  at 
this  time.  Very  truly, 

Rockwell  City,  Iowa.  R.  E.   Flickinger. 


THE  CHOCTAW  FRELDMLN 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


http://www.archive.org/details/choctawfreedmeOOflic 


*ty    H\^V 


AN  OAK  TREE 


On  the  southeastern  slope,  near  the  Academy, 
A  pretty  Oak, 

That  strong  and  stalwart  grows, 
With  every  changing  wind  that  blows, 
is  a  beautiful  emblem  of  the  strength,  beauty  and  eminent  use- 
fulness of  an  intelligent  and  noble  man. 

"He  shall  grow  like  a  Cedar  in  Lebanon;  like  a  tree  planted 
by  the  rivers  of  water,  that  bringeth  forth  his  fruit  in  his  season." 


ALICE  LEE  ELLIOTT 

1846-1906 


^ 


^ 


wr 


THL  nisi 

Choctaw  Freedmen 

AND 
The  Story  of 

OAK  HILL  INDUSTRIAL  ACADEMY 

Valliant,  McCurtain  County 
OKLAHOMA 

Now  Called  the 

ALICL  LEE  ELLIOTT  MEMORIAL 


Including  the  early  History  of  the  Five  Civilized  Tribes  of  Indian  Territory 

the  Presbytery  of  Kiamichi,    Synod  of  Canadian,    and  the  Bible 

in  the  Free  Schools  of  the  American  Colonies,    but 

suppressed    in  France,  previous    to    the 

American  and  French  Revolutions 


By 

ROBERT  LLLIOTT  FLICKINGLR 

A  Recent  Superintendent  of  the  Academy  and 
Pastor  of  the  Oak  Hill  Church 


ILLUSTRATED  BY  100  ENGRAVINGS 


Under  the  Auspices  of  the 

PRLSBYTLRIAN  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS  FOR  FRLLDMLN 

Pittsburgh,  Pa. 


1915 


ENTERED  ACCORDING  TO  ACT  OF  CONGRESS 

IN  THE  YEAR  1 9 1  4  BY  THE  AUTHOR 

IN  THE  OFFICE  OF  THE  LIBRARIAN  OF  CONGRESS 

AT  WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 


Journal  and  Times  Press,  Fonda,  Iowa 


TABLE.  OF  CONTENTS 

I.    GENERAL  FACTS 
Introduction — List  of  Portraits 

I     Indian  Territory 7 

II     Indian  Schools  and  Churches 15 

III  The  Bible,  An  Important  Factor  in  Civilization  31 

IV  The  American  Negro 39 

V     Problem  of  the  Freedman  . 46 

VI  Voices  From  the  Black  Belt 59 

VII  Uplifting  Influences   65 

VIII  The  Presbyterian  Church    84 

IX  The  Freedmen's  Board   90 

X  Special  Benefactors   96 

II    OAK  HILL  INDUSTRIAL  ACADEMY 

XI  Native  Oak  Hill  School  and  Church 101 

XII  Era  of  Eliza  Hartford , . .  107 

XIII  Early  Reminiscences   114 

XIV  Early  Times  at  Forest 124 

XV  Era  of  Supt.  James  F.  McBride 131 

XVI     Era  of  Rev.  Edward  G.  Haymaker 134 

XVII  Buds  of  Promise 146 

XVIII  Closed  in  1904 154 

XIX  Re-Opening  and  Organization   155 

XX  Prospectus  in  1912   162 

XXI  Obligation  and  Pledges 169 

XXII  Bible  Study  and  Memory  Work 173 

XXIII  Decision  Days  183 

XXIV  The  Self-Help  Department 185 

XXV  Industrial  Education    196 

XXVI     Permanent  Improvements    202 

XXVII     Elliott  Hall    210 

V 


CONTENTS 

XXVIII     Unfavorable  Circumstances   216 

XXIX     Building  the  Temple 227 

XXX  Success  Maxims  and  Good  Suggestions  ....  241 

XXXI     Rules  and  Wall  Mottoes  259 

XXXII     Savings  and  Investments   272 

XXXIII  Normals  and   Chautauquas    275 

XXXIV  Graces  and  Prayers  279 

XXXV     Presbyterial  Meetings  and  Picnics 282 

XXXVI     Farmer's  Institutes   287 

XXXVII     The  Apiary,  Health  Hints 294 

XXXVIII     Oak  Hill  Aid  Society 300 

XXXIX     Tributes  to  Workers   308 

XL     Closing  Day,  1912   325 

III  THE  PRESBYTERY  AND  SYNOD 

XLI     Presbytery  of  Kiamichi 335 

XLII     Histories  of  Churches 345 

XLIII     Parson   Stewart    351 

XLIV     Wiley  Homer 360 

XLV     Other  Ministers  and  Elders 370 

XLVI     Synod  of  Canadian 382 

IV     THE  BIBLE  IN  THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOL 

XLVII     The  Public  School 391 

XLVIII    A  Half  Century   of    Bible    Suppression    in 

France 418 


VI 


OAK  HILL  CHAPEL 


[VI] 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Alice  Lee  Elliott 

Elliott  Hall   II 

Choctaw  Church  and  Court  House 14 

Alexander  Reid,  John  Edwards  15 

Biddle  and  Lincoln  Universities 70 

Rev.  E.  P.  Cowan,  Rev.  John  Gaston,  Mrs.  V.  P.  Boggs.  .   91 
Eliza  Hartford,  Anna  Campbell,  Rev.  E.  G.  and  Pris- 

cilla  G.  Haymaker 108 

Girls  Hall,  Old  Log  House 109 

Carrie  and  Mrs.  M.  E.  Crowe,  Anna  and  Mattie  Hunter.  .116 

James  McGuire  and  others 117 

Wiley  Homer,  William  Butler,  Stewart,  Jones 148 

Buds  of  Promise    149 

Rev.  and  Mrs.  R.  E.  Flickinger,  Claypool,  Ahrens,  Eaton  160 

Reopening,  1915,  Flower  Gatherers 192 

Mary  I.  Weimer,  Lou  K.  Early,  Jo  Lu  Wolcott 193 

Rev.  and  Mrs.  Carroll,  Hall,  Buchanan,  Folsom 224 

Closing  Day,  1912 ;  Dr.  Baird 225 

Approved  Fruits   256 

Planting  Sweet  Potatoes  and  Arch 257 

Orchestra,  Sweepers,  Going  to  School 274 

Miss  Weimer,  Celestine,  Coming  Home 275 

The  Apiary ;  Feeding  the  Calves 294 

Log  House  Burning,  Pulling  Stumps 298 

Oak  Hill  in  1902,  1903 299 

The  Hen  House,  Pigpen 295 

The  Presbytery,  Grant  Chapel 352 

Bridges,  Bethel,  Starks,  Meadows,  Colbert,  Crabtree.  . .  .353 
Crittenden,   Folsom,   Butler,   Stewart,   Perkins,   Arnold, 

Shoals,  Johnson 378 

Teachers  in  1899,  Harris,  Brown 379 

Representative  Homes  of  the  Choctaw  Freedmen 406 

The  Sweet  Potato  Field 407 

VII 


INTRODUCTION 

"The  pleasant  books,  that  silently  among 

Our  household  treasures  take  familiar  places, 

Are  to  us,  as  if  a  living  tongue 

Spake  from  the  printed  leaves,  or  pictured  faces !" 

l^^^^/f?  HE  aim  of  the  Author  in  preparing  this  vol- 
'    HP     y[  ume  has  been  to  put  in  a  form,  convenient 


for  preservation  and  future  reference,  a 
brief  historical  sketch  of  the  work  and 
workers  connected  with  the  founding  and 
development  of  Oak  Hill  Industrial  Academy,  established 
for  the  benefit  of  the  Freedmen  of  the  Choctaw  Nation,  In- 
dian Territory,  by  the  Presbyterian  church,  U.  S.  A.,  in 
1886,  when  Miss  Eliza  Hartford  became  the  first  white 
teacher,  to  the  erection  of  Elliott  Hall  in  1910,  and  its  dedi- 
cation in  1912;  when  the  name  of  the  institution  was 
changed  to  "The  Alice  Lee  Elliott  Memorial." 

Some  who  rendered  service  at  Oak  Hill  Academy,  be- 
stowed upon  it  their  best  work,  while  superintendent, 
James  F.  McBride  and  Matron,  Adelia  M.  Eaton,  brought  to 
it  a  faithful  service,  that  proved  to  be  the  crowning  work 
of  their  lives. 

The  occasion  of  receiving  a  new  name  in  1912,  is  one 
that  suggests  the  eminent  propriety  of  a  volume,  that  will 
commemorate  the  labors  of  those,  whose  self-denying  pio- 
neer work  was  associated  with  the  former  name  of  the  in- 
stitution. 


2  INTRODUCTION 

Another  aim  has  been,  to  place  as  much  as  possible  of 
the  character  building  work  of  the  institution,  in  an  attrac- 
tive form  for  profitable  perusal  by  the  youth,  in  the  homes 
of  the  pupils  and  patrons  of  the  Academy.  As  an  aid  in  ef- 
fecting this  result,  the  volume  has  been  profusely  illustrated 
with  engravings  of  all  the  good  photographs  of  groups  of 
the  students  that  have  come  to  the  hand  of  the  author;  and 
also  of  all  the  teachers  of  whom  they  could  be  obtained  at 
this  time.  The  portraits  of  the  ministers  and  older  elders  of 
the  neighboring  churches  have  been  added  to  these,  to  in- 
crease its  general  interest  and  value. 

In  as  much  as  Oak  Hill  Industrial  Academy  was  in- 
tended to  supply  the  special  educational  needs  of  the  young 
people  in  the  circuit  of  churches  ministered  to  by  Parson 
Charles  W.  Stewart,  the  pioneer  preacher  of  the  Choctaw 
Freedmen,  and  faithful  founder  of  most  of  the  churches  in 
the  Presbytery  of  Kiamichi,  a  memorial  sketch  of  this 
worthy  soldier  of  the  cross  has  been  added,  that  the  young 
people  of  the  present  and  future  generations  may  catch  the 
inspiration  of  his  heroic  missionary  spirit. 

"All  who  labor  wield  a  mighty  power; 
The  glorious  privilege  to  do 
Is  man's  most  noble  dower." 

The  ministers  of  the  neighboring  churches,  in  recent 
years,  have  been  so  helpfully  identified  with  the  work  of  the 
Academy,  as  special  lecturers  and  assistants  on  decision 
days,  and  on  the  first  and  last  days  of  the  school  terms,  they 
seem  to  have  been  members  of  the  Oak  Hill  Family.  The 
story  of  the  Academy  would  not  be  complete,  without  a  rec- 
ognition of  them  and  their  good  work.  This  recognition  has 
been  very  gratefully  accorded  in  a  brief  history  of  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Kiamichi  and  of  the  Synod  of  Canadian. 


AIM  OF  AUTHOR  3 

The  period  of  service  rendered  by  the  author,  as  su- 
perintendent of  the  Academy  from  the  beginning  of  1905  to 
the  end  of  1912,  eight  years,  was  one  of  important  transi- 
tions in  the  material  development  of  Indian  Territory. 

The  allotment  of  lands  in  severalty  to  the  Indians  and 
Freedmen  was  completed  in  1905,  and  the  Territorial  gov- 
ernment was  transformed  into  one  of  statehood  on  Jan.  1, 
1908.  The  progress  of  their  civilization,  that  made  it  pos- 
sible for  the  Indians  in  the  Territory  to  become  owners  and 
occupants  of  their  own  homes,  supporters  of  their  own 
schools  and  churches  and  to  be  invested  with  all  the  pow- 
ers and  duties  of  citizenship,  is  briefly  reviewed  in  the  in- 
troductory chapters. 

The  author  has  endeavored  to  make  this  volume  one 
easily  read  and  understood  by  the  Choctaw  Freedmen,  in 
whose  homes  it  is  expected  to  find  a  place,  and  be  read  with 
interest  and  profit  many  years. 

He  has  done  what  he  could  to  enable  as  many  of  you 
as  possible  to  leave  the  impress  of  your  personality  on  the 
world,  when  your  feet  no  longer  move,  your  hands  no  long- 
er build  and  your  lips  no  longer  utter  your  sentiments. 

The  hope  is  indulged  that  every  pupil  of  the  Academy, 
whose  portrait  has  been  given  an  historic  setting  in  this  vol- 
ume, will  regard  that  courteous  recognition,  as  a  special 
call  to  make  the  Bible  your  guide  in  life  and  perform  each 
daily  duty  nobly  and  faithfully,  as  though  it  were  your  last. 

A  life  on  service  bent, 
A  life  for  love  laid  down, 
A  life  for  others  spent, 
The  Lord  will  surely  crown. 

Whilst  other  denominations  have  rendered  conspicu- 
ous and  highly  commendable  service  in  the  effort  to  edu- 


4  INTRODUCTION 

cate  and  evangelize  the  Indians  and  Freedmen,  in  this  vol- 
ume mention  is  made  only  of  the  work  of  the  Presbyterian 
church.  This  is  due  to  the  fact  the  Presbyterian  church, 
having  begun  missionary  work  among  the  Choctaws  at  a 
very  early  date,  it  was  left  to  pursue  it  without  a  rival,  in 
the  particular  section  of  country  and  early  period  of  time  in- 
cluded in  the  scope  of  this  volume. 

Such  as  it  is,  this  volume  is  commended  to  him,  whose 
blessing  alone  can  make  it  useful,  and  make  it  to  fulfil  its 
mission  of  comfort  and  encouragement,  to  the  children  and 
youth  of  the  Freedmen  who  are  sincerely  endeavoring  to 
solve  the  problem  of  their  present  and  future  destiny. 
Fonda,  Iowa,  March  15,  1914.  R.  E.  F. 


PART  I 

GENERAL  FACTS 

RELATING  TO  THE  INDIANS  OF  INDIAN  TERRITORY,  THE 
CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN  AND  PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF 
MISSIONS  FOR  FREEDMEN. 


"In  history  we  meet  the  great  personalities,  who  have 
crystalized  in  their  own  lives,  the  hopes  and  fears  of  nations 
and  races.  We  meet  the  living  God,  as  an  actor,  and  dis- 
cover in  passing  events,  a  consistent  purpose,  guiding  the 
changing  world  to  an  unchanging  end."— W.  A.  Brown. 

"Four  things  a  man  must  learn  to  do, 
If  he  would  make  his  record  true; 
To  think  without  confusion,  clearly; 
To  act  from  honest  motives  purely; 
To  love  his  fellowmen  sincerely; 
To  trust  in  God  and  heaven  securely." 

—Vandyke. 

"The  study  of  history,  as  a  means  of  cultivating  the 
mind  and  for  its  immediate  practical  benefit,  ever  since  the 
days  of  Moses,  who  wrote  the  pioneer  history  of  Israel,  and 
Herodotus,  the  father  of  profane  history,  has  formed  a 
necessary  part  of  a  liberal  and  thorough  education."— History 
of  Pocahontas  County,  Iowa. 


I 
INDIAN  TERRITORY 

EARLY  HISTORY  OF  THE  FIVE  CIVILIZED  TRIBES— OPEN- 
ING OF  INDIAN  TERRITORY  —  OKLAHOMA  —  CLEAR 
CREEK,  OAK  HILL,  VALLIANT. 

"Let  us  develop  the  resources  of  our  land,  call  forth  its 
powers,  build  up  its  institutions,  promote  all  its  great  inter- 
ests and  see  whether  we,  also,  in  our  day  and  generation 
may  not  perform  something  worthy  to  be  remembered." — 
Daniel  Webster. 

^^)(S=^/Pi  NDIAN  Territory,  now  Oklahoma,  was  a  part 
''  "    of  the  public  domain,  that  was  reserved  for 

several  tribes  of  Indians  whose  native  hunt- 
^&*JJ  ing  grounds  were  principally  in  the  South- 
ern states.  While  they  remained  in  their 
native  valleys  they  proved  a  menace  to  the  safety  of  the 
frontier  settlers,  and  in  times  of  war  were  sure  to  take  sides 
against  them.  Thomas  Jefferson  in  his  day  advised  that 
they  be  located  together  on  some  general  reservation.  This 
was  gradually  effected  during  the  earlier  years  of  the  last 
century. 

The  official  act  of  congress  constituting  it  an  Indian 
Reservation  did  not  occur  until  1834,  but  a  considerable 
number  of  the  Choctaws,  Chickasaws  and  of  some  other 
tribes  were  induced  to  migrate  westward  and  locate  there 
previous  to  that  date.  Other  leading  tribes  that  were  trans- 
ferred to  special  reservations  in  Indian  Territory  were  the 
Cherokees,  Creeks  and  Seminoles. 

THE  FIVE  CIVILIZED  TRIBES 
The  Choctaw  Indians  recently  occupied  lands  in  the 


8  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

states  bordering  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  In  1820  a  consider- 
able part  of  them,  ceding  their  lands  in  Georgia,  were  lo- 
cated on  a  reservation  in  the  Red  River  valley  west  of  Ar- 
kansas. In  1830  they  ceded  the  remainder  of  their  lands  in 
Alabama  and  Mississippi  and  all,  together  with  their  slaves, 
were  then  transferred  to  their  new  reservation  in  the  south- 
eastern part  of  Indian  Territory. 

The  Chickasaws,  who  originally  occupied  the  country 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi  river,  as  early  as  1800 
began  to  migrate  up  the  valley  of  the  Arkansas.  In  1805, 
1816  and  in  1818  they  ceded  more  of  their  lands  and  more 
of  them  migrated  westward,  many  of  them  going  to  the 
country  allotted  to  the  Choctaws.  In  1834,  when  the  last 
of  their  lands  in  the  Gulf  states  were  ceded,  they  were  lo- 
cated on  a  reservation  south  of  the  Canadian  river,  west  of 
the  Choctaws.  These  two  tribes  lived  under  one  tribal  gov- 
ernment until  1855,  when  they  were  granted  a  political  sep- 
aration. 

The  Cherokees,  previous  to  1830,  occupied  the  upper 
valley  of  the  Tennessee  river,  extending  through  the  north- 
ern parts  of  Georgia  and  Alabama.  In  1790  a  part  of  the 
tribe  migrated  to  Louisiana  and  they  rendered  important 
services  in  the  army  of  Gen.  Jackson  at  New  Orleans  in  the 
war  of  1812. 

In  1817  they  ceded  a  part  of  their  native  lands  for 
others  and  the  next  year  3,000  of  them  were  located  in  the 
northwestern  part  of  Arkansas  in  the  valleys  of  the  Arkan- 
sas and  White  rivers.  In  1835  the  remainder  of  them  were 
located  just  west  of  the  first  migration  in  the  northeast  part 
of  Indian  Territory. 

The  Creek  Indians  originally  lived  in  the  valleys  of  the 
Flint,  Chattahoochee,  Coosa  and  Alabama  rivers  and  in  the 


INDIAN  TERRITORY  9 

peninsula  of  Florida.  About  the  year  1875,  a  part  of  them 
moved  to  Louisiana  and  later  to  Texas.  In  1836  the  re- 
mainder of  the  tribe  was  transferred  to  a  reservation  north 
of  the  Canadian  river  in  Indian  Territory. 

The  Seminoles  were  a  nation  of  Florida  Indians,  that 
was  composed  chiefly  of  Creeks  and  the  remnants  of  some 
other  tribes.  After  the  acquisition  of  Florida  from  Spain 
in  1819  many  slaves  in  that  section  fled  from  their  masters 
to  the  Seminoles.  The  government  endeavored  to  recover 
them  and  to  force  the  Seminoles  to  remove  westward.  These 
efforts  were  not  immediately  successful,  Osceola,  their  wily 
and  intrepid  chief,  defeating  and  capturing  four  of  the  gen- 
erals sent  against  them,  namely,  Clinch,  Gaines,  Call  and 
Winfield  Scott.  He  was  finally  captured  by  his  captors  violat- 
ing a  flag  of  truce.  In  1845  they  were  induced  to  move  west 
of  the  Mississippi  and  in  1856,  they  were  assigned  lands 
west  of  the  Creeks  in  the  central  part  of  Indian  Territory. 

These  five  tribes,  the  Choctaws,  Chickasaws,  Chero- 
kees,  Creeks  and  Seminoles,  were  the  most  powerful  in  num- 
bers. After  their  settlement  in  Indian  Territory,  they  made 
considerable  progress  in  elementary  education  and  agri- 
culture, their  farm  work  being  principally  done  by  their 
slaves  previous  to  the  time  they  were  accorded  their  free- 
dom in  1865.  As  a  result  of  their  progress  in  the  arts  of 
life,  during  the  last  half  of  the  last  century,  these  were 
often  called  "The  Five  Civilized  Tribes,  or  Nations." 

In  1900  when  the  last  census  was  taken  of  them  in  their 
tribal  form  their  numbers  were  as  follows :  Choctaw  nation, 
99,681;  Chickasaw,  139,260;  Cherokee,  101,754;  Creek, 
40,674;  Seminole,  3,786. 

The  Osage  Indians  were  early  driven  to  the  valley  of  the 
Arkansas  river.    They  were  conveyed  to  their  reservation 


10  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

west  of  that  river,  in  the  north  part  of  Indian  Territory,  in 
1870.  The  supplies  of  oil  and  other  minerals  found  upon 
their  reservation  have  caused  some  of  the  members  of  this 
nation  to  be  reputed  as  quite  wealthy. 

Other  tribes  that  were  located  on  small  reservations 
in  the  northeast  part  of  the  Territory  were  the  Modocs,  Ot- 
tawas,  Peorias,  Quapaws,  Senecas,  Shawnees  and  Wyandot- 
tes. 

During  this  early  period  the  Union  Indian  agency  es- 
tablished its  headquarters  at  Muskogee,  and  it  became  and 
continued  to  be  their  principal  city,  during  the  period  of 
their  tribal  government. 

OPENING  OF  INDIAN  TERRITORY 
On  April  22,  1889,  2,000,000  acres  of  the  Creek  and 
Seminole  lands  were  opened  to  white  settlers,  and  there  oc- 
curred an  ever  memorable  rush  for  lands  and  a  race  for 
homes.  An  area  as  large  as  the  state  of  Maryland  was 
settled  in  a  day.  On  that  first  day  the  city  of  Guthrie  was 
founded  with  a  population  of  8,000,  a  newspaper  was  issued 
and  in  a  tent  a  bank  was  organized  with  a  capital  of  $50,000. 
Oklahoma  and  other  cities  sprang  up  as  if  in  a  night. 

On  June  6,  1890,  the  west  half  of  Indian  Territory  was 
created  a  new  territory,  called  Oklahoma,  with  its  capital  at 
Guthrie,  and  with  later  additions  it  soon  included  24,000,000 
acres. 

On  June  16,  1906,  President  Roosevelt  signed  the  en- 
abling act,  that  admitted  Oklahoma,  including  Oklahoma 
and  Indian  Territories,  as  a  state,  one  year  from  that  date. 
On  November  6,  1906,  occurred  the  election  of  members  to 
the  constitutional  convention,  that  met  at  Guthrie  January 
1,  1907.  The  first  legislature  met  there  January  1,  1908. 
Two  years  later  the  capital  was  moved  to  Oklahoma  City. 


INDIAN  TERRITORY  11 

The  growth,  progress  and  advancement  of  the  territory 
of  Oklahoma  during  the  sixteen  years  preceding  statehood 
in  1907  has  never  been  equaled  in  the  history  of  the  world, 
and  in  all  probability  will  never  be  eclipsed.  This  was  due 
to  the  mild  and  healthful  climate  of  this  region,  and  a  pre- 
vious knowledge  of  its  great,  but  undeveloped  agricultural 
and  mineral  resources.  So  great  has  been  the  flow  of  oil 
near  Tulsa,  in  the  north  central  part  of  the  state,  it  has  been 
necessary  to  store  it  there  in  an  artificial  lake  or  reservoir. 

OKLAHOMA 

The  surface  of  Oklahoma  consists  of  a  gently  undulat- 
ing plain,  that  gradually  ascends  from  an  altitude  of  511 
feet  at  Valliant  in  the  southeast  to  1197  feet  at  Oklahoma 
City,  and  1893  at  Woodward,  the  county  seat  of  Woodward 
county,  in  the  northwest.  The  principal  mountains  are  the 
Kiamichi  in  the  southern  part  of  Laflore  county,  and  the 
Wichita,  a  forest  reserve  in  Comanche  and  Swanson  coun- 
ties. 

Previous  to  statehood  Indian  Territory  was  divided  in- 
to 31  recording  districts  for  court  purposes.  In  1902  when 
Garvin  was  founded  it  became  the  residence  of  the  judge  of 
the  southeastern  judicial  or  recording  district,  and  a  small 
court  house  was  built  there  for  the  transaction  of  the  pub- 
lic business.  In  1907,  when  McCurtain  county  was  estab- 
lished, Idabel  was  chosen  as  the  county  seat.  The  location 
of  Oak  Hill  Academy  proved  to  be  one  and  a  half  miles  east 
of  the  west  line  of  McCurtain  county.  In  1910  the  popula- 
tion of  McCurtain  county  was  20,681,  of  Oklahoma  City 
64,205 ;  and  of  the  state  of  Oklahoma,  1,657,155. 
CLEAR  CREEK 

During  the  period  immediately  preceding  the  incoming 
of  the  Hope  and  Ardmore  Railroad  in  1902,  the  most  im- 


12  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

portant  news  and  trading  center,  between  Fort  Towson  and 
Wheelock,  was  called  "Clear  Creek."  Clear  Creek  is  a  rust- 
ling, sparkling  little  stream  of  clear  water  that  flows  south- 
ward in  a  section  of  the  country  where  most  of  the  streams 
are  sluggish  and  of  a  reddish  hue.  The  Clear  Creek  post 
office  was  located  in  a  little  store  building  a  short  distance 
east  of  this  stream  and  about  three  miles  north  of  Red 
river. 

A  little  log  court  house,  for  the  administration  of  tri- 
bal justice  among  the  Choctaws  of  that  vicinity,  a  black- 
smith shop  and  a  Choctaw  church  were  also  located  at  this 
place.  These  varied  interests  gave  to  Clear  Creek  the  im- 
portance of  a  miniature  county  seat  until  Valliant  and  Swink 
were  founded. 

OAK  HILL 

During  this  early  period  the  oak  covered  ridge,  extend- 
ing several  miles  east  of  Clear  Creek,  was  known  as  Oak 
Hill  and  the  settlement  in  its  vicinity  was  called  by  the 
same  name. 

When  the  first  church  (1869)  and  school  (1876)  were 
established  among  the  Freedmen  in  this  settlement,  the 
same  name  was  naturally  given  to  both  of  them.  It  has 
adhered  to  them,  amid  all  the  changes  that  have  occurred, 
since  the  first  meetings  were  held  at  the  home  of  Henry 
Crittenden  in  1868. 

VALLIANT 

Valliant  was  founded  in  1902,  and  was  so  named  in 
honor  of  one  of  the  surveyors  of  the  Hope  and  Ardmore,  a 
branch  of  the  Frisco  railway.  It  is  located  in  the  west  end 
of  McCurtain  county  eight  miles  north  of  Red  river.  It  has 
now  a  population  of  1,000  and  a  branch  railroad  running 
northward. 


INDIAN  TERRITORY  13 

The  country  adjacent  to  the  town  consists  of  beautiful 
valleys  and  forests  heavily  set  with  timber,  principally  oak, 
walnut,  ash  and  hickory,  and  with  pine  and  cedar  along  the 
streams.  The  soil  is  a  rich  sandy  loam,  that  is  easily  culti- 
vated and  gives  promise  of  great  agricultural  and  horticul- 
tural possibilities.  It  is  in  the  center  of  the  cotton  belt  and 
this  staple  is  proving  a  very  profitable  one.  The  climate  is 
healthful  and  the  locality  is  unusually  free  from  the  prev- 
alence of  high  winds. 


II 
INDIAN  SCHOOLS  AND  CHURCHES 

BEFORE  THE  CIVIL  WAR.— EFFECTS  OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR.— 
TRANSFER  OF  THE  FREEDMEN'S  WORK.— THE  INDIANS 
MAKE  PROGRESS  TOWARD  CIVILIZATION.— WHEELOCK 
ACADEMY.  —  SPENCER  ACADEMY.  —  DOAKSVILLE  AND 
FORT  TOWSON. 

"God,  who  hath  made  of  one  blood  all  nations  of  men 
and  determined  the  bounds  of  their  habitation,  commandeth 
all  men  everywhere  to  repent." — Paul. 

[HEN  Columbus  landed  on  the  shores  of 
America,  the  Indians  were  the  only  people 
he  found  occupying  this  great  continent. 
During  the  long  period  that  has  intervened, 
the  Indian  has  furnished  proof,  that  he  pos- 
sesses all  the  attributes  which  God  has  bestowed  upon  other 
members  of  the  human  family.  He  has  shown  that  he  has 
an  intellect  capable  of  development,  that  he  is  willing  to  re- 
ceive instruction  and  that  he  is  capable  of  performing  any 
duty  required  of  an  American  citizen. 

Considerable  patience  however  has  had  to  be  exercised 
both  by  the  church  in  its  effort  to  bring  him  under  the  sav- 
ing influence  of  the  gospel,  and  by  the  government  in  its 
effort  to  elevate  him  to  the  full  standard  of  citizenship.  Re- 
sults are  achieved  slowly.  His  struggles  have  been  many 
and  difficult.  He  has  needed  counsel  and  encouragement  at 
every  advancing  step. 

In  the  former  days,  when  the  Indian  supported  his  fam- 
ily by  hunting,  trapping  and  fishing,  he  moved  about  from 


16  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

place  to  place.  This  was  finally  checked  in  Indian  Territory 
by  the  individual  allotment  of  lands  in  1904.  He  has  thus 
been  compelled  by  the  force  of  circumstances,  to  change  his 
mode  of  life.  He  has  gradually  discovered  he  can  settle 
down  on  his  own  farm,  improve  it  by  the  erection  of  good 
buildings,  and  either  buy  or  make  the  implements  he  needs 
for  cultivating  the  soil. 

The  great  commission  to  the  church  to  "go  into  all  the 
world  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature,"  will  not 
be  completed  until  the  American  Indian  and  the  Freed- 
men,  who  were  his  former  slaves,  have  been  brought  under 
it?,  uplifting  influence. 

The  Presbyterian  church  throughout  all  its  history  has 
been  the  friend  and  patron  of  learning  and  inasmuch  as  the 
evangelistic  work  among  the  Indians  and  Freedmen,  has 
been  largely  dependent  on  school  work  for  permanent  re- 
sults, it  began  to  establish  schools  among  the  Indians  at  a 
very  early  date.  ,The  work  among  the  five  civilized  tribes 
was  begun  many  years  before  they  were  transported  from 
the  southern  states  to  Indian  Territory.  Some  of  these 
missionaries  migrated  with  them  and  continued  both  their 
school  and  church  work  in  the  Territory.  Rev.  Alfred 
Wright,  who  organized  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Wheel- 
ock  in  December,  1832,  and  died  there  in  1853,  after  receiv- 
ing 570  members  into  it,  began  his  work  as  a  missionary  to 
the  Choctaws  in  1820. 

The  aim  of  the  government  in  its  educational  work 
among  the  Indians,  as  elsewhere  in  the  public  schools  of  the 
country,  has  been  mainly  to  make  them  intelligent  citizens. 
The  aim  of  the  church, by  making  the  Bible  a  daily  textbook, 
is  to  make  them  happy  and  hopeful  Christians,  as  well  as 
citizens.    In  the  early  days  there  was  great  need  for  this 


INDIAN  SCHOOLS  AND  CHURCHES  17 

educational  work,  and  in  the  Presbyterian  church  it  was 
carried  forward  by  its  foreign  mission  board,  with  wisdom, 
energy  and  success. 

In  1861  the  Presbyterian  church  had  established  and 
was  maintaining  six  boarding  schools  with  800  pupils  and 
six  day  schools  among  the  Indians  in  the  Territory.  Two 
of  these  schools,  Spencer  and  Wheelock  Academies,  were 
located  in  the  southern  part  of  the  Choctaw  Nation. 

In  1840  the  Presbytery  of  Indian  was  organized  and  in 
1848  the  Presbytery  of  the  Creek  Nation.  In  1861  these 
included  an  enrollment  of  16  churches  with  a  communicant 
membership  of  1,772. 

EFFECTS  OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  civil  war  in  1861,  all  of  these 
schools  and  churches  were  closed,  and  the  next  year  the 
Presbyterian  church  became  divided  by  the  organization 
of  the  Southern  Presbyterian  church,  under  the  corporate 
name,  "The  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States." 

At  the  close  of  the  war  it  was  left  to-  the  Southern 
branch  of  the  church  to  re-establish  this  school  and  church 
work  in  the  Territory.  It  undertook  to  do  this  and  carried 
parts  of  it  alone  for  a  number  of  years.  The  task  however 
proved  to  be  too  great ;  the  men  and  means  were  not  avail- 
able to  re-open  the  boarding  schools,  and  to  supply  the 
churches  with  ministers.  The  arrangement  was  according- 
ly made  for  the  foreign  mission  board  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  to  resume  its  former  work  as  fast  as  workers  could 
be  obtained. 

In  1879,  four  ministers  returned  and  opened  six 
churches  among  the  Choctaws,  Creeks  and  Cherokees. 

In  1882  Spencer  Academy  was  re-opened  at  Nelson,  by 
Rev.  Oliver  P.  Starks,  a  native  of  Goshen,  New  York,  who, 


18  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

for  seventeen  years  previous  to  the  Civil  War,  had  been  a 
missionary  to  the  Choctaws,  having  his  home  at  Goodland. 

The  Indian  Mission  school  at  Muskogee  was  also  re- 
opened that  year  by  Miss  Rose  Steed. 

In  the  fall  of  1883  the  Presbytery  of  Indian  Territory 
was  re-established  with  a  membership  of  16  ministers,  11 
churches,  385  communicants  and  676  Sunday  school  schol- 
ars. 

In  1884  Wheelock  Academy  was  re-opened  by  Rev. 
John  Edwards,  who  for  a  couple  of  years  previous,  had  been 
located  at  Atoka.  This  was  a  return  of  Edwards  to  the 
educational  work  among  the  Choctaws.  From  1851  to  1853 
he  served  at  Spencer  Academy,  north  of  Doaksville, 
and  then  from  1853  to  1861  had  charge  of  Wheelock  Acad- 
emy, as  the  successor  of  Rev.  Alfred  Wright,  its  early  found- 
er. 

In  1883  two  teachers  were  sent,  who  opened  a  school 
among  the  Creek  Freedmen  at  Muskogee,  known  as  the 
"Pittsburgh  Mission."  A  teacher  was  also  sent  to  the  Freed- 
men among  the  Seminoles. 

After  a  few  years  the  Pittsburgh  Mission  was  transfer- 
red from  Muskogee  to  Atoka,  where  it  supplied  a  real  want 
for  a  few  years  longer.  In  1904  when  adequate  provision  was 
first  made  for  the  Freedmen  in  the  public  schools  of  that 
town  this  mission  was  discontinued. 

TRANSFER  OF  THE  FREEDMEN'S  WORK 

During  this  same  year,  1884,  the  Presbyterian  Board  of 
Missions  for  Freedmen,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  received  the  volun- 
tary transfer  from  the  Southern  church  of  all  the  work  it 
had  developed  at  that  date  among  the  Choctaw  Freedmen. 
This  transfer  was  made  in  good  spirit.  The  motive  that 
prompted  it  was  the  conviction  and  belief  the  Presbyterian 


INDIAN  SCHOOLS  AND  CHURCHES  19 

church  could  carry  it  forward  more  conveniently,  aggres- 
sively and  successfully. 

The  work  that  was  transferred  at  this  date  consisted 
of  Rev.  Charles  W.  Stewart,  Doaksville,  and  the  following 
churches  then  under  his  pastoral  care,  namely:  Oak  Hill, 
Beaver  Dam,  Hebron,  New  Hope  and  St.  Paul  (Eagletown) . 

Parson  Stewart  had  been  licensed  about  1867  and  or- 
dained a  few  years  later.  With  a  true  missionary  spirit  he 
had  gone  into  these  various  settlements  and  effected  the  or- 
ganization of  these  churches  among  his  people.  During 
the  next  two  years  he  added  to  his  circuit  two  more  church- 
es, Mount  Gilead  at  Lukfata  and  Forest,  south  of  Wheelock, 
and  occasionally  visited  one  or  two  other  places. 

INDIANS  MAKE  PROGRESS  TOWARDS  CIVILIZATION 

About  the  year  1880  the  social  and  moral  condition  of 

the  Indians  in  Indian  Territory  was  described  as  follows: 

"About  thirty  different  languages  are  spoken  by  the 
Indians  now  in  the  territory.  The  population  of  the  terri- 
tory, though  principally  Indians,  includes  a  lot  of  white 
men  and  negroes,  amongst  whom  intermarriages  are  fre- 
quent. The  society  ranges  from  an  untutored  Indian,  with 
a  blanket  for  his  dress  and  paganism  for  his  religion,  to  men 
of  collegiate  education,  who  are  manifesting  their  christian 
culture  and  training  by  their  earnest  advocacy  of  the  chris- 
tian faith. 

"The  Cherokees  were  the  first  to  be  brought  under 
direct  christian  influence  and  they  were  probably  in  the 
lead  of  all  the  Indians  on  the  continent  in  civilization,  or 
practice  of  the  useful  arts  and  enjoyment  of  the  common 
comforts  of  life." 

"In  1890,  the  year  following  the  opening  of  the  first 
land  in  the  territory  to  white  settlers,  the  mission  work  in 
the  territory  was  described  as  "very  interesting  and  unique." 
The  Indian  population  represented  every  grade  of  civiliza- 
tion. One  might  see  the  several  stages  of  progress  from  the 
ignorant  and  superstitious  blanketed  Indian  on  the  western 
reservations  to  the  representatives  of  our  advanced  Amer- 
ican culture  among  the  five  civilized  nations.    Our  mission- 


20  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

aries  have  labored  long  and  successfully  and  the  education, 
degree  of  civilization  and  prosperity  enjoyed  by  the  In- 
dians are  due  principally,  if  not  solely,  to  the  efforts  of  con- 
secrated men  and  women,  who  devoted  their  lives  to  this 
special  work.  Although  their  names  may  not  be  familiarly 
known  among  the  churches,  none  have  deserved  more  hon- 
orable mention  than  these  faithful  servants  of  the  Master, 
who  selected  this  particular  field  of  effort  for  their  life  work. 

"Events  are  moving  rapidly  in  Indian  Territory.  Many 
new  lines  of  railroad  have  been  surveyed,  and  when  they 
have  been  built,  every  part  of  the  Territory  will  be  easily 
accessible. 

"A  new  judicial  system  with  a  complete  code  of  laws 
has  recently  been  provided,  and  with  liberal  provision  for 
Indian  citizenship  and  settlement  of  the  land  question  it  is 
safe  to  predict  a  speedy  end  to  tribal  government. 

"This  means  the  opening  of  a  vast  region  to  settlement, 
the  establishment  of  churches  and  the  thorough  organiza- 
tion of  every  form  of  christian  work.  For  this  we  must  pre- 
pare and  there  is  no  time  to  lose.  Our  churches  and  schools 
must  be  multiplied  and  our  brethren  of  the  ministry  must  be 
fully  reinforced  by  competent  educated  men  trained  for 
christian  work.  What  the  future  has  in  store  for  the  whole 
Territory  was  illustrated  by  the  marvelous  rush  into  and 
settlement  of  Oklahoma  Territory  during  the  last  year. 

"A  wonderful  transformation  has  taken  place.  The 
unbroken  prairie  of  one  year  ago  has  been  changed  to  cul- 
tivated fields.  The  tents  of  boomers  have  given  place  to  well 
built  homes  and  substantial  blocks  of  brick  and  stone.  Un- 
organized communities  have  now  become  members  of  a  leg- 
ally constituted  commonwealth.  Here  are  found  all  the  ele- 
ments of  great  progress  and  general  prosperity  and  the  fu- 
ture of  Oklahoma  Territory  is  full  of  great  promise. 

"Here  the  Presbyterian  church  has  shown  itself  cap- 
able of  wrestling  with  critical  social  problems  and  stands 
today  as  the  leading  denomination  in  missionary  enterprise. 
Every  county  has  its  minister  and  many  churches  have  been 
organized.  Others  are  underway.  With  more  ministers 
and  liberal  aid  for  the  erection  of  churches  the  Presbyterian 
church  will  do  for  Oklahoma  what  it  has  done  for  Kansas 
and  the  Dakotas." 

In  1886  the  mission  school  work  among  the  Indians 
was  transferred  from  the  care  of  the  foreign  to  the  home 


INDIAN  SCHOOLS  AND  CHURCHES  21 

mission  board.  Those  in  charge  of  the  school  work  of  Spen- 
cer Academy  at  Nelson  resigned  that  work  and  the  school 
was  closed. 

In  1895  the  Mission  school  work  at  Wheelock  Acade- 
my was  undertaken  and  continued  thereafter  by  the  Indian 
Agency,  as  a  school  for  orphan  children  of  the  Indians. 

WHEELOCK  ACADEMY 

Wheelock  Academy  for  nearly  four-score  years  was  the 
most  attractive  social,  educational  and  religious  center  in 
the  southeast  part  of  the  Choctaw  nation.  It  was  located 
on  the  main  trails  running  east  and  west  and  north  and 
south.  But  when  the  Frisco  railway  came  in  1902,  it  passed 
two  miles  south  of  it,  and  a  half  dozen  flourishing  towns 
were  founded  along  its  line. 

There  remain  to  mark  this  place  of  early  historic  in- 
terest the  two  mission  school  buildings,  a  strongly  built 
stone  church  30  by  50  feet,  a  two  story  parsonage  and  cem- 
etery. The  church  is  of  the  Gothic  style  of  architecture, 
tastefully  decorated  inside  and  furnished  with  good  pews 
and  pulpit  furniture. 

REV.  ALFRED  WRIGHT 
Among  the  many  old  inscriptions  on  the  grave  stones 
in  the  Wheelock  cemetery,  there  may  be  seen  the  following 
beautiful  record  of  the  work  of  one,  whose  long  and  emi- 
nently useful  life  was  devoted  to  the  welfare  of  the  Choctaw 
people : 


22  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

SACRED 

to  the  memory  of  the 

REV.  ALFRED  WRIGHT 

who  entered  into  his  heavenly  rest 

March  31,  1853,  age  65  years. 

Born  in  Columbia,  Connecticut,  March  1,  1788. 

Appointed  Missionary  to  the  Choctaws  1820. 

Removed  to  this  land  October,  1832. 

Organized  Wheelock  Church  December,  1832. 

Received  to  its  fellowship   570   members. 

AS  A  MAN 

he  was  intelligent,  firm  in  principle, 

prudent  in  counsel,  gentle  in  spirit, 

kindness  and  gravity, 

and  conscientious  in  the  discharge  of  every 

relative  and  social  duty. 

AS  A  CHRISTIAN 

he  was  uniform,  constant,  strong  in  faith, 

and  in  doctrine,  constant  and  fervent  in  prayer, 

holy  in  life,  filled  with  the  spirit  of  Christ 

and  peaceful  in  death. 

AS  A  PHYSICIAN 

he  was  skillful,  attentive,  ever  ready  to  relieve 

and  comfort  the  afflicted. 

AS  A  TRANSLATOR 

he  was  patient,  investigating  and  diligent, 

giving  to  the  Choctaws  in  their  own  tongue  the 

New  and  part  of  the  Old  Testament, 

and  various  other  books. 

AS  A  MINISTER 

his  preaching  was  scriptural,  earnest,  practical, 

and  rich  in  the  full  exhibition  of  Gospel  truth. 

He  was  laborious,  faithful  and  successful. 

Communion  with  God,  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus, 

and  reliance  upon  the  aid  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 

made  all  his  labor  sweet  to  his  own  soul 

and  a  blessing  to  others. 

In  testimony  of  his  worth,  and  their  affection, 

his  mourning  friends  erect  this 

Tablet  to  his  Memory. 

"There  remaineth  therefore  a  rest  to  the  people 

of  God." 

REV.  JOHN  EDWARDS 
Rev.  John  Edwards,  the  successor  of  Rev.  Alfred 
Wright,  was  a  native  of  Bath,  New  York.  He  graduated 
from  the  college  at  Princeton,  New  Jersey,  in  1848,  and 
from  the  theological  seminary  there  in  1851.  He  was  or- 
dained by  the  Presbytery  of  Indian  Territory  December  11, 
1853. 


The  Choctaw  Church,  Clear  Creek. 


The  Choctaw  Court  House,  Clear  Creek. 

Both  buildings  ceased  to  be  used  about   1899. 


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INDIAN  SCHOOLS  AND  CHURCHES  23 

He  became  a  teacher  at  Spencer  Academy,  north  of 
Fort  Towson,  in  1851,  and  continued  until  1853,  when  he 
became  the  successor  of  Rev.  Alfred  Wright  as  the  stated 
supply  of  the  Choctaw  church  and  superintendent  of  the 
academy  at  Wheelock.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  in 
1861  he  passed  to  California  and  after  teaching  two  years  in 
San  Francisco,  served  as  stated  supply  of  various  churches 
during  the  next  twenty  years,  having  his  residence  during 
the  latter  part  of  that  period  at  Oakland. 

In  1882  he  returned  and  resumed  work  among  the 
Choctaws,  locating  first  at  Atoka.  In  1884  he  re-opened  the 
academy  at  Wheelock,  and  continued  to  serve  as  its  super- 
intendent until  1895,  when  it  became  a  government  school. 
He  remained  the  next  year  in  charge  of  the  church.  He 
then  returned  to  California  and  died  at  San  Jose,  at  75, 
December  18,  1903. 

In  1897,  Rev.  Evan  B.  Evans,  supplied  the  Choctaw 
church  at  Wheelock  one  year.  As  its  membership  of  60  con- 
sisted principally  of  students  living  at  a  distance,  and  they 
were  absent  most  of  the  year,  the  services  were  then  discon- 
tinued. A  few  years  later  the  services  were  resumed  at  the 
town  of  Garvin,  where  another  stone  church  was  built  in 
1910,  during  the  efficient  ministry  of  Rev.  W.  J.  Willis. 

SPENCER  ACADEMY 

Rev.  Alexander  Reid,  principal  of  Spencer  Academy, 
was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  came  to  this  country  in  his 
boyhood.  He  graduated  from  the  college  at  Princeton,  N.  J., 
in  1845,  and  the  theological  seminary  there,  three  years 
later.  He  was  ordained  by  the  Presbytery  of  New  York  in 
1849  and  accepting  a  commission  to  serve  as  a  missionary  to 
the  Indians  of  the  Choctaw  Nation  in  Indian  Territory,  was 


24  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

immediately  appointed  superintendent  of  Spencer  Academy, 
ten  miles  north  of  Fort  Towson. 

He  was  accompanied  by  Rev.  Alexander  J.  Graham,  a 
native  of  Newark,  New  Jersey,  who  served  as  a  teach- 
er in  the  academy.  The  latter  was  a  roommate  of  Reid's  at 
Princeton  seminary,  and  his  sister  became  Reid's  wife.  At 
the  end  of  his  first  year  of  service  he  returned  to  Lebanon 
Springs,  New  York,  for  the  recovery  of  his  health,  and  died 
there  July  23,  1850.  Rev.  John  Edwards  immediately  be- 
came his  successor  as  a  teacher. 

Alexander  Reid  while  pursuing  his  studies,  learned  the 
tailor's  trade  at  West  Point  and  this  proved  a  favorable  in- 
troduction to  his  work  among  the  Choctaws.  They  were 
surprised  and  greatly  pleased  on  seeing  that  he  had  al- 
ready learned  the  art  of  sitting  on  the  ground  "tailor  fash- 
ion" according  to  their  own  custom. 

The  academy  under  Reid  enjoyed  a  prosperous  career 
of  twelve  years.  In  1861,  when  the  excitement  of  war  ab- 
sorbed the  attention  of  everybody,  the  school  work  was 
abandoned.  Reid,  however,  continued  to  serve  as  a  gospel 
missionary  among  the  Indians  until  1869,  when  he  took  his 
family  to  Princeton,  New  Jersey,  to  provide  for  the  educa- 
tion of  his  children. 

While  ministering  to  the  spiritual  needs  of  the  Indians 
his  sympathies  and  interest  were  awakened  by  the  destitute 
and  helpless  condition  of  their  former  slaves.  In  1878  he 
resumed  work  as  a  missionary  to  the  Choctaws  making  his 
headquarters  at  or  near  Atoka  and  in  1882  he  was  appoint- 
ed by  the  Foreign  Mission  Board,  superintendent  of  mis- 
sion work  among  the  Freedmen  in  Indian  Territory.  In  this 
capacity  he  aided  in  establishing  neighborhood  schools 
wherever  teachers  could  be  found.    In  order  that  a  number 


INDIAN  SCHOOLS  AND  CHURCHES  25 

of  them  might  be  fitted  for  teaching,  he  obtained  permission 
of  their  parents  to  take  a  number  of  bright  looking  and 
promising  young  people  to  boarding  schools,  maintained  by 
our  Freedmen's  Board  in  Texas,  Mississippi  and  North  Caro- 
lina. He  thus  became  instrumental  in  preparing  the  way, 
and  advised  the  development  of  the  native  Oak  Hill  School 
into  an  industrial  and  normal  boarding  school. 

In  1884,  owing  to  failing  health,  he  went  to  the  home  of 
his  son,  Rev.  John  G.  Reid  (born  at  Spencer  Academy  in 
1854),  at  Greeley,  Colorado,  and  died  at  72  at  Cambridge- 
port,  near  Boston,  July  30,  1890. 

"He  was  a  friend  to  truth,  of  soul  sincere,  of  manners 
unaffected  and  of  mind  enlarged,  he  wished  the  good  of  all 
mankind." 

UNCLE  WALLACE  AND  AUNT  MINERVA 
Uncle  Wallace  and  Aunt  Minerva  were  two  of  the  col- 
ored workers  that  were  employed  at  Spencer  Academy,  be- 
fore the  war.  They  lived  together  in  a  little  cabin  near  it. 
In  the  summer  evenings  they  would  often  sit  at  the  door  of 
the  cabin  and  sing  their  favorite  plantation  songs,  learned 
in  Mississippi  in  their  early  youth. 

In  1871,  when  the  Jubilee  singers  first  visited  Newark, 
New  Jersey,  Rev.  Alexander  Reid  happened  to  be  there  and 
heard  them.  The  work  of  the  Jubilee  singers  was  new  in 
the  North  and  attracted  considerable  and  very  favorable  at- 
tention. But  when  Prof.  White,  who  had  charge  of  them, 
announced  several  concerts  to  be  given  in  different  churches 
of  the  city  he  added, 

"We  will  have  to  repeat  the  Jubilee  songs  as  we  have 
no  other." 

When  Mr.  Reid  was  asked  how  he  liked  them  he  re- 
marked, 


26  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

"Very  well,  but  I  have  heard  better  ones." 

When  he  had  committed  to  writing  a  half  dozen  of  the 

plantation  songs  he  had  heard  "Wallace  and  Minerva"  sing 

with  so  much  delight  at  old  Spencer  Academy,  he  met  Mr. 

White  and  his  company  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  and  spent 

an  entire  day  rehearsing  them.    These  new  songs  included, 

"Steal  away  to  Jesus." 

"The  Angels  are  Coming," 

"I'm  a  Rolling,"  and  "Swing  Low." 

"Steal  Away  to  Jesus"  became  very  popular  and  was 
sung  before  Queen  Victoria. 

The  Hutchinson  family  later  used  several  of  them  in 
their  concerts,  rendering  "I'm  a  Rolling,"  with  a  trumpet 
accompaniment  to  the  words: 

"The  trumpet  sounds  in  my  soul, 

I  haint  got  long  to  stay  here." 
These  songs  have  now  been  sung  around  the  world. 

When  one  thinks  of  the  two  old  slaves  singing  happily 
together  at  the  door  of  their  humble  cabin,  amid  the  dreary 
solitudes  of  Indian  Territory,  and  the  widely  extended  re- 
sults that  followed,  he  cannot  help  perceiving  in  these  inci- 
dents a  practical  illustration  of  the  way  in  which  our  Heav- 
enly Father  uses  "things  that  are  weak,"  for  the  accom- 
plishment of  his  gracious  purposes.  They  also  serve  to 
show  how  little  we  know  of  the  future  use  God  will  make 
of  the  lowly  service  any  of  us  may  now  be  rendering. 

These  two  slaves  giving  expression  to  their  devotional 
feelings  in  simple  native  songs,  unconsciously  exerted  a 
happy  influence,  that  was  felt  even  in  distant  lands;  an  in- 
fluence that  served  to  attract  attention  and  financial  sup- 
port to  an  important  institution,  established  for  the  educa- 
tion of  the  Freedmen. 


INDIAN  SCHOOLS  AND  CHURCHES  27 

NEW  SPENCER  ACADEMY 

In  the  fall  of  1881  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions  re-established  Spencer  Academy  in  a  new  location 
where  the  postoffice  was  called,  Nelson,  ten  miles  south- 
west of  Antlers  and  twenty  miles  west  of  old  Spencer,  now 
called  Spencerville. 

Rev.  Oliver  P.  Stark,  the  first  superintendent  of  this  in- 
stitution, died  there  at  the  age  of  61,  March  2,  1884.  He  was 
a  native  of  Goshen,  New  York,  and  a  graduate  of  the  col- 
lege and  Theological  Seminary  at  Princeton,  N.  J.  In  1851, 
he  was  ordained  by  the  Presbytery  of  Indian  which,  as  early 
as  1840,  had  been  organized  to  include  the  missions  of  the 
American  Board. 

As  early  as  1849,  while  he  was  yet  a  licentiate,  he  was 
commissioned  as  a  missionary  to  the  Choctaws,  and,  locat- 
ing at  Goodland,  remained  in  charge  of  the  work  in  that 
section  until  1866,  a  period  of  seventeen  years.  During  the 
next  thirteen  years  he  served  as  principal  of  the  Lamar  Fe- 
male Seminary  at  Paris,  Texas.  His  next  and  last  work 
was  the  development  of  the  mission  school  for  the  Choctaws 
at  Nelson,  which  had  formed  a  part  of  his  early  and  long 
pastorate. 

Rev.  Harvey  R.  Schermerhorn,  became  the  immediate 
successor  of  Mr.  Stark  as  superintendent  of  the  new  Spencer 
Academy  and  continued  to  serve  in  that  capacity  until  1890, 
when  the  mission  work  among  the  Indians  was  transferred 
from  the  Foreign  to  the  care  of  the  Home  Mission  Board. 
The  school  was  then  discontinued  and  he  became  pastor  of 
the  Presbyterian  church  at  Macalester.  After  a  long  and 
very  useful  career  he  is  now  living  in  retirement  at  Harts- 
home. 

These  incidents,  relating  to  the  work  of  the  Presbyter- 


28  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

ian  church  among  the  Indians,  especially  the  Choctaws, 
have  been  narrated,  because  the  men  who  had  charge  of 
these  two  educational  institutions  at  Wheelock  and  Spen- 
cer Academies,  were  very  helpful  in  effecting  the  organiz- 
ation of  Presbyterian  churches,  the  establishment  of  Oak 
Hill  Academy  and  a  number  of  neighborhood  schools 
among  the  Freedmen  in  the  south  part  of  the  Choctaw  Na- 
tion. 

DOAKSVILLE  AND  FORT  TOWSON 

Rev.  Cyrus  Kingsbury,  an  early  Presbyterian  mission- 
ary to  the  Choctaws,  was  located  at  Doaksville  near  old 
Fort  Towson.  He  secured  the  erection  of  an  ample  church 
building  and  rendered  many  years  of  faithful  service.  He 
died  and  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  at  that  place  in  1870. 

Doaksville,  though  no  longer  entitled  to  a  place  on  the 
map,  is  the  name  of  an  important  pioneer  Indian  village. 
Here  the  once  proud  and  powerful  Choctaws  established 
themselves  during  the  later  twenties,  and  were  regarded 
as  happy  and  prosperous  before  the  Civil  War. 

Fort  Towson  was  built  by  the  government  to  protect 
them  from  incursions  on  the  part  of  the  wild  Kiowas  and 
Comanches,  who  still  roamed  over  the  plains  of  Texas.  The 
name  of  Ulyses  S.  Grant  was  associated  with  it  just  before 
the  Mexican  war.  The  generous  hospitality  of  Col.  Gar- 
land, who  died  there  after  a  long  period  of  service,  is  still 
gratefully  remembered. 

During  its  most  prosperous  days,  which  were  long  be- 
fore the  Civil  War,  a  considerable  number  of  aristocratic 
Choctaws,  claiming  large  plantations  in  the  neighboring  val- 
leys, dwelt  there  near  each  other.  Some  were  men  of  cul- 
ture and  university  education,  while  others  were  ignorant 
and  superstitious.     Some  had  previously  enjoyed  the  ac- 


INDIAN  SCHOOLS  AND  CHURCHES  29 

quaintance  and  friendship  of  Andrew  Jackson  and  Zachary 
Taylor,  and  greatly  appreciated  the  privilege  of  manifest- 
ing their  chivalrous  spirit.  Berthlett's  store,  now  used  as 
a  stable,  was  a  noted  trading  establishment  and  place  of  so- 
cial resort.  Its  owner  was  a  native  of  Canada,  who  had 
come  to  live  among  the  Choctaws. 

While  living  in  this  beautiful  country,  where  they  were 
paternally  protected  from  poverty  at  home  and  the  en- 
croachments of  enemies  abroad  it  has  been  said  they  were 
so  addicted  to  private  quarrels  and  fatal  combats,  that 
there  was  scarcely  a  Choctaw  family  that  did  not  have  its 
tragedy  of  blood.  These  fatal  tribal  feuds,  however,  seldom 
occurred  except  on  gala  days,  and  the  preparations  therefor 
included  a  supply  of  "fire-water." 

The  old  Doaksville  cemetery  occupies  the  slope  of  a 
hillside  near  a  little  stream  skirted  with  timber.  Some  of 
the  leading  pioneers  of  the  Choctaw  nation  were  buried 
here.  The  marble  tablets  that  mark  their  graves  were 
brought  by  steam  boat  from  New  Orleans,  up  the  Mississip- 
pi and  Red  rivers  to  a  landing  four  miles  south.  Some  of 
the  graves  are  walled  and  covered  with  a  marble  slab,  while 
others  are  marked  by  the  erection  over  them  of  oddly  shap- 
ed little  houses.  In  the  early  days,  the  full-bloods  were  in 
the  habit  of  burying  with  the  body  some  favorite  trinket 
or  article  of  personal  adornment.  Many  of  the  grave  stones 
attest  the  fact  that  the  deceased  while  living  enjoyed  a 
good  hope  of  a  blessed  immortality  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 


Ill 


THE  BIBLE  AN  IMPORTANT  FACTOR  IN 
CIVILIZATION  AND  EDUCATION 

THE  BIBLE  A  POWER  IN  THE  FORMATION  OF  CHARACTER. 
—THE  ARCHITECT  GREATER  THAN  THE  CATHEDRAL.— 
THE  BIBLE  THE  BASIS  OF  THE  AMERICAN  PUBLIC 
SCHOOL  SYSTEM.— VALLEY  OF  DIAMONDS.— IMPORT- 
ANCE OF  CHRISTIAN  TEACHERS. 

"From  a  child  thou  hast  known  the  HOLY  SCRIP- 
TURES, which  are  able  to  make  thee  Wise  unto  Salvation." 

"All  scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  and  is 
profitable  for  instruction ;  That  the  man  of  God  may  be  per- 
fect thoroughly  furnished  unto  all  good  works." — Paul 

i^^^^/^HILST  our  religious  educational  institutions 
'  \  a  /  \r   where  unsectarian  instruction  in  the  Bible 


is  fundamental,  have  been  producing  good 
results  of  the  highest  order,  those  educa- 
tional institutions  where  only  secular  in- 
struction is  given,  have  been  contributing  a  very  small  pro- 
portion of  the  world's  consecrated  moral  leaders.  Of  1,600 
home  missionaries,  1,503  received  their  training  in  Chris- 
tion  educational  institutions.  Of  600  foreign  missionaries, 
551  received  their  training  in  Christian  educational  insti- 
tutions. 

It  is  not  correct  to  say  that  one  standard  of  education 
is  as  good  as  another.  Fourteen  American  colleges,  recent- 
ly established  in  China  by  the  Christian  Missionaries, 
though  only  meagerly  equipped,  but  manned  by  those  of  un- 


32  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

questioned  Christian  character,  and  teaching  the  plain  sav- 
ing truths  of  the  Bible,  have  become  educational  centers, 
from  which  have  gone  out  the  leaders  in  a  peaceful  revolu- 
tion that  occurred  there  in  1912,  that  have  brought  the  boon 
of  civil  and  religious  liberty  to  one-fourth  of  the  population 
of  the  world.  Under  the  beneficent  influence  of  a  few  Chris- 
tian leaders  this  ancient  empire  has  been  lifted  off  its 
hinges  and  a  new  life  and  spirit  of  progress  have  been  in- 
fused into  a  civilization,  hoary  with  centuries  of  stagnant 
heathenism.  In  this  wonderful  transformation,  effected  by 
trained  Christian  teachers,  the  church  and  the  world  have 
seen  the  fulfillment  of  the  Bible  prediction,  "A  nation  shall 
be  born  in  a  day." 

Training  for  a  noble  Christian  life  is  many  times  bet- 
ter than  training  merely  to  make  a  living.  The  demand  for 
good  and  true  men,  to  serve  as  leaders  in  church  and  state 
was  never  greater  than  at  present.  The  aim  of  the  church 
is  to  supply  the  world  with  capable  leaders  that  are  "Christ- 
led  and  Bible-fed." 

A  right  education  knows  no  limit  of  breadth.  It  in- 
cludes a  knowledge  of  the  Infinite  as  well  as  the  finite.  It 
recognizes  the  fact  that  finite  things  can  not  be  rightly  un- 
derstood without  knowing  their  relation  to  the  Infinite. 
Our  Lord  Jesus,  who  came  into  the  world  to  make  known  the 
will  of  the  Father,  "holds  in  his  girdle  the  key  to  all  the 
secrets  of  the  universe,  and  no  education  can  be  thorough 
without  the  knowledge  of  Him." 

Christian  schools  are  established  for  the  culture  of 
souls.  Their  aim  is  to  develop  men  and  women  as  persons 
to  the  full  extent  of  their  powers  for  the  sake  of  their  con- 
tribution to  the  personal  welfare  and  progress  of  society. 


THE  BIBLE  AN  IMPORTANT  FACTOR  33 

THE  BIBLE  A  POWER  IN  THE  FORMATION  OF 
CHARACTER 

All  things  being  equal  the  thorough  Christian  makes 
a  better  mechanic,  a  better  farmer,  a  better  housekeeper, 
teacher,  doctor,  lawyer  or  business  man,  than  one  who  is 
not  a  Christian.  It  is  the  work  of  a  Bible  school  of  instruc- 
tion to  equip  its  graduates  with  the  very  best  elements  of 
character  and  progress,  and  send  them  forth  tempered  and 
polished  for  the  conquest  of  the  world. 

The  young  have  characters  to  be  molded,  ideals  to  be 
formed,  capacities  to  be  enlarged,  an  efficiency  that  may  be 
increased,  an  energy  to  be  centralized,  and  a  hope  and  faith 
to  be  strengthened.  The  Bible,  in  the  hands  of  the  tactful 
and  faithful  Christian  teacher  accomplishes  all  of  these  re- 
sults, by  its  precepts  and  interesting  biographies. 

The  Bible,  furnishes  the  young  correct  ideals  of  a  noble 
and  useful  manhood.  The  common  greed  for  money,  po- 
sition and  outward  appearance  is  weighed  in  the  balance 
and  found  wanting. 

The  Bible  is  the  fountain  of  all  true  character,  and  fur- 
nishes the  means  for  the  betterment  of  one's  self.  It  fur- 
nished the  principles  and  ideals  that  enabled  Washington, 
Lincoln,  Frances  Willard,  Queen  Victoria,  Gladstone  and 
others,  to  achieve  greatness  as  statesmen,  rulers  or  na- 
tional leaders;  and  enabled  Cary,  Judson,  Moffat,  Living- 
stone and  others  to  invade  dark,  dangerous  continents  that 
they  might  become  heralds  of  gospel  light  and  liberty 
where  they  were  most  needed.  "Buy  the  truth,  sell  it  not, 
and  the  truth  shall  make  you  free,"  was  the  ringing  mes- 
sage they  proclaimed  to  men,  women  and  children. 


34  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

THE  ARCHITECT  GREATER  THAN  THE  CATHEDRAL 

A  tourist,  visiting  the  famous  cathedral  at  Milan,  ex- 
pressed his  great  surprise  at  the  wonderful  vision  and  per- 
fect ideal  of  the  man,  who  designed  it.  A  guide  remarked, 
that  the  mind  of  the  architect,  who  wrought  out  the  hun- 
dred striking  features  of  the  design,  was  greater  than  the 
magnificent  cathedral.  This  led  another  to  remark,  "Only  a 
mind  inspired  by  Christ  could  have  designed  this  wonder- 
ful building."  How  true!  The  love  of  Christ  constrains  his 
people  to  bring  to  his  service  and  worship  their  noblest 
powers  of  mind  and  body. 

When  the  tourist  viewed  the  works  of  art,  which  in- 
cluded some  of  the  world's  most  famous  statuary  and  paint- 
ings, he  found  the  master  pieces  of  Michael  Angelo,  the 
sculptor,  were  Moses  and  David,  both  of  them  characters 
from  the  Bible ;  and  the  most  wonderful  paintings  were 
those  of  the  person  of  our  Lord  Jesus,  the  only  Redeemer  of 
the  world. 

Haj^den  and  Handel,  two  of  the  world's  most  famous 
musical  composers,  were  inspired  to  write  their  great  choral 
masterpieces,  the  "Creation"  and  the  "Messiah"  as  a  re- 
sult of  their  careful  study  of  the  sacred  scriptures.. 

The  best  the  world  has  produced  in  law,  literature, 
poetry,  music,  art  and  architecture  has  been  the  embodi- 
ment of  ideals,  that  have  received  their  inspiration  from 
reading  God's  Holy  Word,  and  experiencing  saving  knowl- 
edge of  the  redeeming  work  of  His  blessed  Son. 

Abraham  continues  to  be  the  "father  of  the  faithful  f\ 
Moses,  author  of  the  Pentateuch,  continues  to  be  the  world's 
greatest  lawgiver  and  leader  of  men;  Joshua  effecting  the 
conquest  of  Canaan  on  the  principle,  "Divide  and  Conquer," 
continues  to  be  the  inspirer  of  successful  military  strateg- 


THE  BIBLE  AN  IMPORTANT  FACTOR  35 

ists;  David  author  of  Psalms,  continues  to  be  the  world's 
greatest  poet ;  Joseph,  Daniel  and  Isaiah,  continue  to  be  the 
best  ideals  for  rulers  and  their  counselors;  Nehemiah,  the 
best  representative  of  a  progressive  and  successful  man  of 
affairs ;  Peter  and  John,  the  most  noted  examples  of  loyalty 
to  truth;  Paul,  the  most  zealous  advocate  of  a  great  cause; 
and  our  Lord  Jesus  continues  to  be  the  ideal  of  the  world's 
greatest  teachers  and  benefactors. 

THE  BASIS  OF  THE  AMERICAN  PUBLIC  SCHOOL 
SYSTEM 

"The  Bible,  the  basis  of  moral  instruction  in  the  public 
school,"  was  the  interesting  theme  of  an  address  it  was  the 
privilege  of  the  author  to  deliver  at  a  teachers'  institute 
forty  years  ago,  when  engaged  in  teaching  in  central  Penn- 
sylvania. The  conviction  then  became  indellibly  impressed, 
that  the  Bible  is  really  the  basis  of  the  American  public 
school  system.  The  fact  is  now  noted  with  a  good  deal  of 
interest,  that  the  legislature  of  Pennsylvania  in  1913,  en- 
acted a  law,  distinctly  recognizing  this  fact,  and  providing 
that  at  least  ten  verses  from  the  Bible  shall  be  read  every 
school  day,  in  the  presence  of  the  scholars  in  every  public 
school  within  the  bounds  of  the  state.  Every  teacher  refus- 
ing to  comply  with  this  law  is  subject  to  dismissal.. 

Every  state  in  the  Union  should  have  a  law  of  this  kind. 
The  Bible  is  not  merely  the  book  of  books,  it  is  the  only  one 
that  has  correct  ideals  for  young  people.  It  awakens  the 
desire  for  more  knowledge  and  inspires  the  courage  to  do 
right. 

THE  VALLEY  OF  DIAMONDS 
Ruskin,  in  "The  Ethics  of  Dust",  referring  to  the  valley 
of  diamonds,  remarks  that  "many  people  go  to  real  places 


36  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

and  never  see  them;  and  many  people  pass  through  this 
valley  of  diamonds  and  never  see  it." 

One  great  object  to  be  attained  in  the  education  of  the 
mind  is  to  awaken  an  earnest  desire  for  truth.  All  real  life, 
whether  it  be  in  the  school,  shop  or  field,  consists  in  using 
aright  the  true  principles  of  life,  that  are  found  in  the  Word 
of  God.  Every  human  heart,  that  has  been  illuminated  by 
this  Word  of  Truth,  finds  that  along  the  pathway  that  leads 
to  God,  there  are  hidden  the  gems  and  jewels  of  eternal 
truth,  that  prevail  in  every  department  of  life.  These  gems 
are  hidden  only  from  the  careless  and  indifferent.  Those 
that  make  a  diligent  search  are  sure  to  find  them.  This 
longing  desire  for  truth  is  not  only  the  mark  of  a  good  stu- 
dent, but  the  assurance  also  that  such  a  one,  if  circumstances 
are  favorable  will  continue  to  make  progress  after  school 
days  have  ended. 

Many  pupils,  during  their  youthful  school  days,  fail  to 
perceive  the  real  mission  of  their  education.  They  do  not 
then  fully  appreciate  the  real  gold  of  truth,  that  cultivates 
in  them  ''those  general  charities  of  heart,  sincerities  of 
thought,  and  graces  of  habit,  which  are  likely  to  lead  them, 
throughout  life  to  prefer  frankness  to  affectation,  reality  to 
shadows,  and  beauty  to  corruption."  This  enlightenment  is 
pretty  sure  to  come  to  them  later,  if  the  Bible  has  been 
their  daily  text  book. 

THE  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER 

The  acceptance  of  the  Bible  as  the  Word  of  God  should 
be  regarded  as  essential,  on  the  part  of  all  teachers  of  child- 
ren and  youth. 

If  the  Bible  is  the  great  fountain  of  saving  truth  and 
the  highest  authority  on  human  conduct,  and  it  is  to  be 
used  as  a  daily  text  book,  then,  it  naturally  follows,  the 


THE  BIBLE  AN  IMPORTANT  FACTOR  37 

teacher  should  be  "a  workman  approved  unto  God,  apt  to 
teach  and  rightly  dividing  the  word  of  truth."  Persons  who 
do  not  believe  in  the  Bible  do  not  care  to  teach  it,  and  when 
they  are  required  to  do  so,  they  are  pretty  sure  to  vaunt 
their  unbelief.  The  influence  of  such  teachers  tends  to  es- 
tablish unbelief  instead  of  awakening  a  longing  desire  for 
more  truth. 

Emerson  in  one  of  his  essays,  after  pressing  the  fact 
that  the  soul  is  the  receiver  and  revealer  of  truth,  states  an 
undeniable  fact,  when  he  says: 

"That  which  we  are,  we  shall  teach,  not  voluntarily 
but  involuntarily.  Thoughts  go  out  of  our  minds  through 
avenues,  which  we  never  voluntarily  opened.  Character 
teaches  over  our  head.  The  infallible  index  of  true  progress 
is  found  in  the  tone  the  man  takes.  Neither  his  age,  nor  his 
breeding,  nor  his  company,  nor  books,  nor  actions,  nor  tal- 
ents, nor  all  together  can  hinder  him  from  being  deferential 
to  a  higher  spirit  than  his  own.  If  he  has  not  found  his 
home  in  God,  his  manners,  his  form  of  speech,  the  turn  of 
his  sentences,  the  build,  shall  I  say  of  all  his  opinions,  will 
involuntarily  confess  it,  let  him  brave  it  out  how  he  will." 

The  longings  of  the  human  heart  are  unsatisfied,  until 

the  soul  finds  its  home  in  God,  its  creator  and  preserver. 

Teachers  that  ignore  this  fact,  lack  one  thing  that  is  vitally 

important.     Our  Lord  Jesus,  the  great  teacher,  expressed 

its  relative  importance  when  he  said:   "Seek  ye  first  the 

Kingdom  of  God,  and  his  righteousness ;  and  all  these  things 

will  be  added  unto  you." 

A  RAILROAD  PRESIDENT 

James  J.  Hill,  a  prominent  railroad  president  recently 

made  this  important  statement : 

"We  are  making  a  mistake  to  train  our  young  people 
in  various  lines  of  knowledge  for  undertaking  the  big  tasks 
of  life,  without  making  sure  also  that  those  fundamental 
principles  of  right  and  wrong  as  taught  in  the  Bible,  have 
become  a  part  of  their  equipment.     There  is  a  control  of 


38  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

forces  and  motives,  that  is  essential  to  the  management  of 
the  vast  affairs  of  our  nation,  which  comes  only  through 
an  educated  conscience;  and  to  fail  to  equip  young  men, 
who  are  to  manage  the  great  affairs  of  the  future,  with  this 
control  and  direction,  is  a  serious  mistake  of  the  age  and 
bears  with  it  a  certain  menace  for  the  future." 

In  a  recent  issue  of  the  Asembly  Herald  there  ap- 
peared the  following  very  pertinent  paragraphs  on  this 
subject,  credited  to  the  Synod  of  Tennessee: 

"In  common  with  all  good  citizens,  we  rejoice  in  the  pro- 
gress of  the  cause  of  popular  education  in  our  land.  The  in- 
telligence of  our  citizenship  is  a  bulwark  to  the  country. 
But  unless  the  education  of  the  future  citizen  is  complete 
and  symmetrical,  the  body  politic  becomes  a  body  partly  of 
iron  and  partly  of  potter's  clay.  The  education  of  the  head 
and  the  hand  without  the  heart  is  not  enough. 

"The  popular  education  has  no  place  for  the  heart  in 
all  of  its  splendid  equipment.  This  is  not  a  reflection  on  the 
fine  system.  It  is  merely  the  statement  of  a  melancholy 
fact.  The  average  state  school,  high  or  low,  is  absolutely 
colorless  as  to  religion.  Even  the  morality  that  is  taught 
is  not  the  morality  of  the  Christian  religion,  but  of  philos- 
ophical ethics  that  differ  but  little  from  the  ethics  of  the 
pagan. 

"Our  state  schools  have  no  place  for  the  God  of  the 
Bible,  nor  for  the  Bible  of  the  only  living  and  true  God.  The 
poetry  of  Homer  and  Horace  are  sufficiently  honored,  but 
the  finer  poetry  of  Moses,  Job  and  David  are  unknown  in  the 
courses  of  study  of  our  schools,  except  now  and  then  as  spec- 
imens of  Oriental  song.  The  wise  sayings  of  Plato  and 
Socrates  are  reckoned  worthy  of  profound  study,  while  the 
vastly  greater  sayings  of  our  Lord  Jesus  and  Paul  are  un- 
known. Cicero  and  Demosthenes  are  commended  as  great 
models  of  public  address,  while  Isaiah  and  Ezekiel  are  sel- 
dom mentioned  in  the  four  years  of  college  life,  or  in  the 
longer  years  of  the  secondary  schools. 

"That  education  is  incomplete  and  inadequate  for  life's 
best,  which  does  not  include  the  whole  man,  and  put  first 
things  first.  If  the  heart  be  not  educated  and  the  conscience 
be  not  enlightened,  the  best  trained  hand  may  strike  in  a 
wrong  manner,  and  the  best  trained  mind  pronounce  wrong 
judgments.  .  Our  citizenship  must  be  Christian  if  it  is  to 
promote  a  Christian  civilization." 


IV 

THE  AMERICAN  NEGRO 

RELIGIOUS  INSTINCT.  —  LOYAL  AND  PATRIOTIC.  —  THE 
FREEDMAN.  —  HOMELESS  AND  ILLITERATE  WHEN 
EMANCIPATED.  —  FIRST  SCHOOLS  DURING  THE  CIVIL 
WAR.— FREE  NEGROES  AND  COLLEGE  GRADUATES.— 
50th  ANNIVERSARY. 

"All  nations  whom  thou  hast  made  shall  come  and  wor- 
ship before  thee  and  glorify  thy  name."  David. 

RELIGIOUS  INSTINCT 
>N  commendation  of  woman's  loyalty  and 
sense  of  obligation  to  our  Lord  Jesus,  it  has 
been  said  of  her,  "She  was  last  at  his  cross 
and  first  at  his  grave,  she  staid  longest 
there  and  was  soonest  here."  In  recognition 
of  this  fact  when  he  rose  from  the  dead  he  appeared  first  to 
one  of  them,  Mary  Magdalene. 

To  the  credit  of  men  of  African  descent,  it  may  be  said, 
that  one  of  them  performed  the  last  act  of  kindness  to  our 
Lord  Jesus,  and  the  first  individual  conversion,  of  which  we 
have  an  account  in  the  book  of  Acts,  relates  to  another  one. 
Simon,  who  assisted  Jesus  to  bear  his  cross  to  the 
place  of  crucifixion,  was  a  native  of  Cyrene  in  North  Africa. 
The  eastern  church  canonized  him  as  Simon,  the  Black  one, 
because  his  was  the  high  and  holy  honor  of  bearing  for  the 
weary  Christ,  his  cross  of  shame  and  pain.  Our  Lord  Jesus 
was  not  long  in  the  black  man's  debt.  A  few  hours  later,  he 
paid  it  back  by  bearing  for  him  all  his  weary  burdens,  on 


40  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

the  very  cross  the  African  had  borne  for  him.  That  was  a 
good  start  for  the  Black  man. 

Philip,  directed  by  an  angel  of  the  Lord  to  go  south  and 
join  himself  to  the  chariot  occupied  by  the  Eunuch,  a  man  of 
great  authority  under  the  Queen  of  Ethiopia,  found  him 
reading  the  prophet  Isaiah.  Explaining  the  scriptures  to 
him  the  eunuch  confessed  his  faith  in  Jesus,  was  baptized 
with  water  found  at  the  roadside  and  resumed  his  journey, 
homeward  from  Jerusalem,  rejoicing.  The  record  of  this 
Black  man's  conversion  is  the  first  one  of  an  individual  in 
the  book  of  Acts. 

The  religious  trait  of  the  American  Negro  has  often 
been  the  subject  of  favorable  comment.  He  has  never,  in  all 
his  history,  been  swayed  by  the  false  teachings  of  infidels, 
atheists  or  anarchists. 

Dan  Crawford,  a  Scotch  missionary,  the  successor  of 
Livingstone  in  the  central  part  of  the  dark  continent,  recent- 
ly stated  he  had  discovered  the  fact,  that  the  most  ignor- 
ant and  degraded  natives  of  central  Africa,  have  a  relig- 
ious instinct,  that  includes  a  belief  in  one  God  and  the  im- 
mortality of  the  soul. 

Penetrating  the  jungles  of  the  interior  beyond  the 
reach  of  a  previous  explorer,  he  found  a  tribe  of  nearly 
nude  cannibals.  He  saw  one  of  them  eating  human  flesh. 
Meeting  Ka  la  ma  ta,  their  chief,  the  next  day  in  the  pres- 
ence of  several  hundred  of  his  tribe,  he  made  special  inquiry 
in  regard  to  their  knowledge  of  God.  The  result  was  an 
astounding  surprise. 

Kalamata,  gave  their  name  of  God  as  Vi  de  Mu  ku  lu 

the  Great  King.    When  further  questioned  he  said: 

"We  know  there  is  a  God  for  the  same  reason  we  know 
where  the  goats  went  on  a  wet  night,  when  we  see  their  deep 
foot-prints  in  the  mud.    We  see  the  sun  and  the  sun  sees 


THE  AMERICAN  NEGRO  41 

us.  We  see  the  wonderful  mountains  and  the  flowing 
streams,  and  both  tell  us  there  is  a  God.  He  is  the  one 
who  sends  the  rain.  No  rain,  nothing  to  eat;  no  God,  no 
anything." 

Concerning  a  future  life  he  expressed  the  thought,  the 
body  is  the  cottage  of  the  soul.  The  dead  do  not  really  die. 
When  one  dies  they  do  not  say,  "he  departed",  but  "he  has 
arrived." 

The  American  Negro,  like  his  native  ancestor,  has  always 
manifested  this  religious  instinct. 

Under  the  influence  of  a  natural  instinct  the  bee  in- 
variably builds  its  cell  in  the  same  form  for  the  next  brood 
and  the  storage  of  honey  for  it;  the  butterfly  prepares  the 
cradle  and  food  for  offspring  it  never  sees,  and  the  migra- 
tory birds  follow  the  sun  northward  in  the  spring  and  south- 
ward on  the  approach  of  winter.  All  this  is  natural  instinct. 
Religious  instinct  is  something  very  different  from  the 
natural  instinct  of  any  creature.  It  is  a  natural  power  pos- 
sessed by  man  alone,  and  has  its  sphere  in  the  human  con- 
science. Paul,  writing  to  the  Romans  in  regard  to  the  bar- 
barians of  his  day,  observed,  "God  is  manifest  in  them,  for 
the  invisible  things  of  God,  even  his  eternal  power  and  God- 
head, are  clearly  seen  by  the  things  that  are  made." 
LOYAL  AND  PATRIOTIC 
The  Negro  in  America  has  always  been  loyal  and  pa- 
triotic. He  has  rendered  a  voluntary  service  in  the  army 
and  navy  of  the  United  States  that  is  worthy  of  special  com- 
mendation. The  records  of  the  war  department  show  that 
the  number  of  colored  soldiers,  participating  in  the  several 
wars  of  this  country  was  as  follows : 

Revolutionary  War,  1775-1781  3,000 

War  of  1812  2,500 

Civil  War,  1861-1865  178,975 


42  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

In  the  war  with  Spain  in  Cuba  in  1898  the  first  troops 
that  were  sent  to  the  front  were  four  regiments  of  colored 
soldiers,  and  the  service  they  rendered  was  distinguished  by 
bravery  and  courage. 

THE  FREEDMAN,  HOMELESS  AND  ILLITERATE 
In  1860  the  number  of  Negroes  that  were  in  a  state  of 
slavery  was  3,930,760.    In  1910  their  number  in  the  south- 
ern states  had  increased  to  9,000,000;  and  in  the  northern 
states  to  1,078,000. 

The  Emancipation  Proclamation  of  President  Lincoln 
was  issued  January  1,  1863,  but  it  was  preceded  by  a  prelim- 
inary one  on  September  22,  1862,  that  gave  the  public  a  no- 
tice of  100  days  of  the  coming  event. 

The  Act  of  Emancipation  that  severed  the  relation 
binding  them  to  their  masters,  left  them  in  a  very  forlorn 
and  deplorable  condition.  They  were  homeless  and  penni- 
less in  a  country,  that  had  been  rendered  more  or  less  des- 
olate, by  the  ravages  of  war  and  bloodshed.  No  provision 
had  ever  been  made  for  the  spread  of  intelligence  among 
them.  It  has  been  estimated  that  only  about  five  per  cent 
of  them  at  that  time  could  read  and  write.  Their  homeless 
and  illiterate  condition  rendered  them  comparatively  help- 
less and  dependent. 

In  1885  the  number  of  voters  enrolled  among  the 
Freedmen  was  1,420,000  and  of  these  as  many  as  1,065,000 
were  then  unable  to  read  and  write.  These  illiterate  voters 
then  represented  the  balance  of  power  in  eight  southern 
states  and  one  sixth  of  the  national  electoral  vote.  This  was 
a  matter  of  vital  importance  to  the  nation  as  well  as  the 
states. 

In  1900  the  per  centage  of  the  Freedmen  that  could 


THE  AMERICAN  NEGRO  43 

read  and  write  had  been  increased  to  55.5  per  cent,  and  in 
1910  to  69.3  per  cent. 

At  this  latter  date  however  only  56.3  per  cent  of  their 
children,  of  a  school  age,  were  enrolled  as  attending  school, 
which  left  more  than  one  million  yet  to  be  provided  for. 

FIRST  PUBLIC  SCHOOL 

The  first  day  school  among  the  Freedmen  was  estab- 
lished at  Fortress  Monroe,  Virginia,  by  the  American  Mis- 
sionary Association  on  September  17,  1861.  This  school  be- 
came the  foundation  of  Hampton  Institute,  to  which  the 
ragged  urchin  wended  his  way  on  foot  and  slept  the  first 
night  under  a  wooden  pavement,  that  has  since  been  known 
as  Booker  T.  Washington. 

In  1862  similar  schools  were  established  at  Ports- 
mouth, Norfolk,  and  Newport  News,  Virginia;  Newbern 
and  Roanoke  Island,  North  Carolina,  and  Port  Royal,  South 
Carolina.  In  December  of  that  year  Gen.  Grant  assigned 
Col.  John  Eaton  the  supervision  of  the  Freedmen  in  Arkan- 
sas, with  instruction  to  establish  schools  where  practical. 

After  the  Emancipation  Proclamation  of  January  1, 
1863,  schools  for  the  Negroes  began  to  be  established  in 
those  parts  of  the  south  occupied  by  the  Federal  armies, 
General  Banks  establishing  the  first  ones  in  Louisiana. 

In  1865  the  Freedman's  Bureau  was  established,  and  it 
made  the  maintenance  of  schools  one  of  its  objects  until 
1870,  when  it  was  discontinued.  The  work  has  since  been 
left  to  the  supervision  of  the  several  states,  aided  by  the 
generosity  of  the  friends  of  Christian  education  through  the 
missionary  agencies  of  their  respective  churches. 

It  is  estimated  that  since  1870  the  Freedmen,  who  con- 
stitute nearly  one  half  the  population  of  the  southern  states 


44  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

have  received  for  the  support  of  their  schools,  only  one 
eighth  of  the  public  funds  appropriated  for  the  maintenance 
of  common  schools.  In  the  rural  districts  teachers  only  are 
furnished,  and  these  are  supplied  on  the  condition  the  Freed- 
men  in  the  district  build,  furnish  and  maintain  the  school 
building,  the  same  as  they  do  their  church  buildings. 

The  number  of  free  Negroes  in  the  United  States  in 
1860  was  487,970.  The  states  having  the  greatest  number 
of  them  were  Pennsylvania,  New  York,  Ohio,  Maryland,  Vir- 
ginia and  North  Carolina. 

A  few  of  these  had  become  graduates  of  colleges  be- 
fore the  war  and  were  thus  fitted  for  intelligent  leadership. 
The  beginning  and  increase  in  number  of  these  colored  col- 
lege graduates  has  been  as  follows ;  In  1829,  1 ;  in  1849,  7 ; 
in  1859,  12 ;  in  1869,  44 ;  in  1879,  313 ;  in  1899,  1,126 ;  and  in 
1909,  1,613.  About  700  of  them  have  graduated  from  our 
northern  colleges  the  largest  number  having  attended 
Oberlin  college  at  Oberlin,  Ohio,  and  Lincoln  University  at 
Oxford,  Pennsylvania.  In  1910  the  whole  number  that  had 
graduated  was  3,856. 

50th  ANNIVERSARY 

The  50th  anniversary  of  the  Emancipation  Proclama- 
tion was  observed  by  a  number  of  the  states  in  September, 
1913.  In  Pennsylvania  it  consisted  of  an  exposition  at 
the  city  of  Philadelphia,  that  lasted  one  month.  The 
exhibit,  showing  the  progress  of  the  negroes  from  their  in- 
fantile condition  of  50  years  ago,  was  characterized  as 
"wonderful",  and  the  occasion,  one  for  devout  thanksgiving 
and  encouragement  on  the  part  of  those,  who  have  labored 
patiently  and  faithfully  for  their  civil,  social,  moral  or 
religious  development. 


THE  AMERICAN  NEGRO  45 

The  Presbyterian  was  the  only  one  of  the  white  church- 
es that  attempted  an  exhibit  of  its  work  at  this  exposition. 
Its  exhibit  consisted  of  photographs  of  churches  and  schools, 
and  accounts  of  the  results  of  the  work.  It  included  speci- 
mens of  industrial  work  done  in  the  schools  by  the  sewers, 
cabinet  workers  and  other  artisans.  It  was  under  the  di- 
rection of  Rev.  John  M.  Gaston,  field  secretary  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Board  of  Missions  for  Freedmen. 


THE  PROBLEM  OF  THE  FREEDMAN 

DIFFERENT  STANDPOINTS.— REPRESENTATION  IN  CON- 
GRESS.—13th,  14th  AND  15th  AMENDMENTS.— NEGRO 
SENATORS  AND  REPRESENTATIVES.— DISFRANCHISE- 
MENTS.—RESULTS  CONTRARY  TO  EXPECTATION.— PROV- 
IDENTIAL LEADING  OF  JOSEPH,  ISRAEL,  NEHEMIAH 
AND  DANIEL  SUGGESTIVE.— A  DIVINE  MISSION.— THE 
FREEDMAN'S  FRIENDS.— FRIENDLY  COUNSELS.— THE 
GOLDEN  RULE. 

"Justice  and  judgment  are  the  habitation  of  thy 
throne ;  mercy  and  truth  shall  go  before  thy  face." 

"Righteousness  exalteth  a  nation  but  sin  is  a  reproach 
to  any  people." 

ffjE  "Problem  of  the  Negro"  is  an  old  and  fa- 
miliar phrase.  It  relates  to  the  fact,  that, 
however  many  and  great  have  been  the 
benefits  derived  from  his  labor  and  loyalty, 
the  best  management  of  him  has  been  a 
troublesome  problem  to  the  statesmen  of  this  country, 
ever  since  the  declaration  of  independence,  and  especially 
the  Freedman,  since  his  emancipation. 

Like  a  prism  or  cube,  this  problem  has  several  sides, 
but  unlike  these  symbols,  its  various  sides  are  unlike  each 
other.  The  solution  of  it  has  always  appeared  to  be  dif- 
ferent when  viewed  from  different  angles  of  vision.  Ob- 
servers in  one  part  of  our  country  unite  in  saying,  "this  is 
the  best  way  to  solve  this  problem,"  while  others  in  another 
section  insist,  they  know    a  better    way.      The  statesman 


THE  PROBLEM  OF  THE  FREEDMAN  47 

views  it  from  one  point  of  view,  the  labor  leader  from  an- 
other and  the  Christian  philanthropist  from  still  another 
standpoint. 

The  first  part  of  this  problem,  the  one  relating  to  the 
fact  of  his  freedom,  has  already  been  solved.  The  solu- 
tion of  this  introductory  part  of  the  problem  caused  pre- 
liminary struggles  in  Kansas  and  other  places,  including  the 
Civil  War.  It  served  to  bring  out  that  which  was  noblest 
and  best  in  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe,  William  Lloyd  Garrison, 
Frederic  Douglass,  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  Horace  Greeley, 
Charles  Summer,  Abraham  Lincoln  and  others. 

The  parts  that  remain  to  be  solved  relate  to  his  uplift 
from  ignorance,  poverty  and  degradation,  to  the  attain- 
ment of  the  ability  to  support  himself,  by  a  fair  chance  in 
the  labor  market,  and  the  enjoyment  of  approved  educa- 
tional, religious  and  political  privileges. 

He  has  been  accorded  the  right  to  own  property,  and  is 
enjoying  that  right  to  the  full  extent  of  his  ability  to  ac- 
quire and  hold  it. 

He  has  been  accorded  limited  educational  and  religious 
privileges,  and  has  made  a  very  commendable  progress 
along  both  of  these  lines. 

It  is  at  this  point  we  reach  the  difficult  and  unsolved 
part  of  the  problem. 

The  intelligent  and  prosperous  portion  of  them  in  the 
South,  though  native  and  loyal  Americans,  are  discrimin- 
ated against,  and  denied  rights  and  recognitions,  that  are 
accorded  other  nationalities,  though  illiterate.  The  popular 
reason  assigned,  for  locally  withholding  from  all  of 
them  certain  privileges  of  citizenship,  is  the  fact  that  a 
great  number  of  them  continue  to  be  illiterate. 


48  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

In  several  of  the  states  the  Freedman  is  denied  the 
privilege  of  enjoying  the  instruction  of  competent  white 
teachers  in  their  state  and  public  schools,  and  in  all  of  them 
he  is  prohibited  from  attending  white  schools,  as  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  other  northern  states.  The  discriminations 
against  them  are  so  general,  that  it  is  almost  impossible  for 
any  of  them  to  acquire  skill  as  workmen,  or  become  fitted  to 
serve  their  own  people  in  the  professions,  except  from  those 
of  their  own  number,  or  institutions  of  learning  provided 
specially  for  them. 

REPRESENTATION  IN  CONGRESS 

During  the  last  forty  years,  the  Freedmen  have  been 
counted  as  a  part  of  the  population,  in  apportioning  the  dis- 
tricts for  the  election  of  Representatives  in  the  Congress  of 
the  United  States.  This  inclusion  of  their  number,  in  the 
arrangement  of  the  districts,  has  enabled  the  states  to 
which  they  belong,  to  have  a  considerable  number  of  ad- 
ditional congressmen,  that  they  would  not  have  had,  if  the 
districts  had  been  arranged  according  to  the  white  popu- 
lation, which  alone  has  been  permitted  to  vote. 

Since  1910  the  additional  number  of  Congressmen^ 
representing  the  suppressed  vote  of  the  Freedmen,  has  been 
32  in  a  total  of  82  members.  These  additional  representa- 
tives, based  on  the  population  representing  the  suppressed 
vote  of  the  Freedmen,  have  come  from  the  different  states 
as  follows :  Alabama,  5 ;  Arkansas,  2 ;  Florida,  1 ;  Georgia,  6 ; 
Louisiana,  4;  Mississippi,  5;  North  Carolina,  4;  South  Car- 
olina, 4;  Texas,  1.     Total,  32. 

This  is  an  unexpected  and  a  rather  anomalous  condi- 
tion. It  places  the  Freedmen  in  this  country  on  a  plane 
somewhat  similar  to  that  accorded  the  Philippines  and  Porto 


THE  PROBLEM  OF  THE  FREEDMAN  49 

Ricans,  as  regards  the  matter  of  government  and  partici- 
pation therein. 

It  also,  however,  suggests  the  goal  towards  which  edu- 
cation, religion  and  consequent  material  prosperity  are 
gradually  uplifting  the  race.  This  goal  is  clearly  expressed 
in  the  following  amendments  to  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States. 

AMENDMENTS  TO  THE  CONSTITUTION 

Article  XIII.  Section  I.  Neither  slavery  nor  involun- 
tary servitude,  except  as  a  punishment  for  crime,  whereof 
the  party  shall  have  been  duly  convicted,  shall  exist  within 
the  United  States,  or  any  place  subject  to  their  jurisdiction. 
—  (Ratified  Dec.  18,  1865.) 

Article  XIV.  Section  I.  All  persons  born  or  natural- 
ized in  the  United  States  and  subject  to  the  jurisdiction 
thereof,  are  citizens  of  the  United  States,  and  of  the  state 
wherein  they  reside.  No  state  shall  make  or  enforce  any 
law,  which  shall  abridge  the  privileges  or  immunities  of 
citizens  of  the  United  States;  nor  shall  any  state  deprive 
any  person  of  life,  liberty  or  property,  without  due  process 
of  law,  nor  deny  to  any  person  within  its  jurisdiction  the 
equal  protection  of  the  laws. 

Section  2.  Representatives  shall  be  apportioned 
among  the  several  states  according  to  their  respective  num- 
bers, counting  the  whole  number  of  persons  in  each  state, 
excluding  Indians  not  taxed.  But  when  the  right  to  vote 
at  any  election  for  the  choice  of  electors  for  president  and 
vice-president  of  the  United  States,  representatives  in  con- 
gress, the  executive  and  judicial  officers  of  a  state,  or  the 
members  of  the  legislature  thereof,  is  denied  to  any  of  the 
male  inhabitants  of  such  state,  being  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  and  citizens  of  the  United  States,  or  in  any  way 
abridged,  except  for  participation  in  rebellion  or  other 
crime,  the  basis  of  representation  therein  shall  be  reduced 
in  the  proportion,  which  the  number  of  such  male  citizens 
shall  bear  to  the  whole  number  of  male  citizens  twenty-one 
years  of  age  in  such  state. —  (Ratified  July  28,  1868.) 

Article  XV.  Section  1.  The  right  of  citizens  of  the 
United  States  to  vote  shall  not  be  denied  or  abridged  by  the 
United  States  or  by  any  state  on  account  of  race,  color,  or 
previous  condition  of  servitude. 


50  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Section  2.  The  congress  shall  have  power  to  enforce 
this  article  (or  these  articles)  by  appropriate  legislation. — 
(Ratified  March  30,  1870.) 

NEGRO  SENATORS  AND  REPRESENTATIVES 

As  a  result  of  these  amendments  two  negroes,  one  free 
born,  the  other  a  Freedman  were  elected  to  the  United 
States  senate,  namely,  Hiram  R.  Revels,  1870-1871 ;  and 
Blanche  K.  Bruce,  1875-1881,  both  from  Mississippi. 

Twenty  others  have  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  serving 
as  representatives  in  congress,  during  the  thirty-two  years 
intervening  between  1869  and  1901.  The  first  of  these  was 
Jefferson  Long  of  Georgia,  who  served  alone  in  1869  and 
1870.  During  the  next  four  years  1871  to  1874,  there  were 
four  representatives,  representing  Alabama,  Florida,  Mis- 
sissippi and  South  Carolina,  the  last  having  two  colored  rep- 
resentatives during  this  entire  period.  Their  number  was 
then  reduced  to  two  representatives,  and  finally  to  none 
since  1901,  save  that  there  were  three  during  the  terms 
commencing  1877,  1881  and  1883.  Their  last  representa- 
tives were  George  W.  Murray  of  South  Carolina,  1893  to 
1897;  and  George  H.  White  of  North  Carolina,  1897  to  1901. 

Five  of  these  twenty  representatives  were  re-elected 
and  served  terms  of  four  years ;  three  served  six  years,  and 
Joseph  H.  Rainey  of  South  Carolina  enjoyed  the  unusual 
privilege  of  serving  ten  years,  1875  to  1885.  Eight  of  them 
were  from  South  Carolina,  four  from  North  Carolina,  three 
from  Alabama  and  one  from  Florida,  Georgia,  Louisiana, 
Mississippi  and  Virginia. 

DISFRANCHISEMENTS 
During  the  seventies  and  eighties  the  Freedmen  were 
to  a  considerable  extent  disfranchised  by  means  of  "elec- 
tion devices,  practices  and  intimidations." 


THE  PROBLEM  OF  THE  FREEDMAN  51 

Since  1890,  when  Mississippi  took  the  lead,  a  number  of 
the  states  have  passed  laws  restricting  the  right  of  suffrage 
on  their  part  to  such  tests  as  the  payment  of  their  annual 
taxes,  previous  to  a  certain  date;  ownership  of  a  certain 
amount  of  land  or  personal  property,  the  ability  to  read  and 
write  the  constitution  of  the  state  or  of  the  United  States, 
and  the  "Grandfather  Clause"  which  permits  one  unable  to 
meet  the  educational  or  property  tests  to  continue  to  vote, 
if  he  enjoyed  that  privilege,  or  is  a  lineal  descendant  of  one 
that  did  so,  previous  to  the  date  mentioned  therein,  usually 
1867. 

The  following  states  have  enacted  laws  containing  the 
"Grandfather  Clause:"  South  Carolina,  Louisiana,  Alabama, 
Virginia,  North  Carolina,  Georgia  and  in  1910,  Oklahoma. 
This  part  of  the  Oklahoma  statute  reads  as  follows : 

"But  no  person  who  was  on  January  1,  1866,  or  at  any 
time  prior  thereto,  entitled  to  vote  under  any  form  of  gov- 
ernment, or  who  at  that  time  resided  in  some  foreign  na- 
tion, and  no  lineal  descendant  of  such  person  shall  be  de- 
nied the  right  to  register  and  vote  because  of  his  inability 
to  so  read  and  write  such  Constitution." 

RESULT  CONTRARY  TO  EXPECTATION 
This  historic  record,  of  representation  in  the  highest 
legislative  council  of  the  nation,  is  very  suggestive.  That 
the  Freedmen  should  have  been  accorded  the  largest  num- 
ber of  representatives  just  after  the  dawn  of  freedom,  when 
their  general  condition  has  always  been  described  as  ex- 
tremely deplorable,  that  this  number  should  have  been 
gradually  diminished  with  the  spread  of  intelligence  among 
them;  and  that  finally  they  should  have  no  representative 
during  the  last  thirteen  years,  when  their  progress  in  ed- 
ucation and  material  prosperity  has  been,  at  their  fiftieth 
anniversary,  declared  to  be  "wonderful,"  certainly  does  not 


52  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

seem  to  be  in  accordance  with  what  one  intuitively  would 
expect  to  be  the  natural  order  of  things. 

It  is  quite  natural  the  present  order  of  things  should 
awaken  and  develop  a  feeling  of  protest  on  the  part  of  the 
Freedmen,  for  they  appreciate  rights  and  privileges  as 
well  as  other  races  and  nations. 

Their  segregation,  enforced  on  all  alike  in  cities,  public 
places  and  conveyances  results  also  in  many  disappointing 
and  humiliating  experiences  to  those  who  are  leaders 
among  them. 

The  existing  order  is,  however,  an  expression  of  local 
public  sentiment  and  of  the  wisest  statesmanship  of  those, 
who  claim  to  be  the  best  friends  of  the  Freedman,  because 
they  live  nearest  to  him  and  know  better  than  others  how 
to  provide  for  his  needs,  including  rights  and  privileges. 

He  enjoys  the  privileges  of  public  protection  to  life, 
property  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness,  but  to  a  consider- 
able extent  is  denied  the  privilege  of  representation  in 
making  laws  and  exercising  the  power  of  government. 

These  historic  facts  relating  to  the  gradual  curtail- 
ment of  the  privilege  of  representation  in  legislation  and 
government  have  been  noted,  not  merely  because  they  form 
an  important  part  in  a  full  statement  of  the  negro  problem, 
but  as  a  prelude  to  the  following  facts,  and  suggestions  to 
the  Freedmen. 

PROVIDENTIAL  LEADING 
The  history  of  the  negro  in  America  has  been  one  of 
providential  leading  and  apparently  to  enable  him  to  work 
out  his  own  destiny.  From  the  time  the  Dutch  slave  ship 
in  1619  landed  the  first  importation,  consisting  of  20  slaves, 
at  Jamestown,  Virginia,  to  the  present  time,  every  import- 
ant event  or  change  in  his  condition  has  come  to  him  from 


THE  PROBLEM  OF  THE  FREEDMAN  53 

others,  who  without  aid  or  suggestion  from  him  have  been 
moved  to  act  for  him. 

The  experience  of  Joseph,  in  passing  through  the  pit 
and  the  prison,  on  the  way  to  his  real  mission,  the  exper- 
ience of  Israel  in  Egypt  from  the  death  of  Joseph  until  the 
time  of  their  deliverance  at  the  Red  Sea,  and  the  experience 
of  Nehemiah  and  Daniel,  captives  at  Babylon,  who  were 
there  providentially  led  and  prepared  for  the  most  signal 
services  of  their  lives,  seem  like  historic  parallels  flashing 
from  inspired  Bible  story,  their  comforting  and  prophetic 
light  on  the  servile  and  dark  experiences  of  the  negro  in 
America. 

In  all  of  these  instances  the  persons  were  subject  to 
the  control  of  others,  the  way  seemed  dark,  trying  and  ut- 
terly disappointing,  and  the  opportunities,  that  prepared  the 
way  for  important  transitions,  came  unsought  and  in  ways 
wholly  unexpected.  The  things  that  proved  of  greatest  im- 
portance in  every  instance  were  the  intelligence,  integrity, 
patience  and  piety  of  the  individual. 

The  Godfearing  integrity  of  Joseph  was  expressed 
when  he  resisted  a  great  temptation  by  saying,  "How  can 
I  do  this  great  wickedness  and  sin  against  God?" 

Israel  in  Egypt  submissively  and  obediently  under- 
took to  make  the  full  tale  of  brick  when  unsympathetic 
taskmasters  withheld  the  usual  and  necessary  amount  of 
straw. 

Nehemiah,  a  captive  cupbearer  of  a  heathen  prince, 
won  his  confidence  and  when  honorably  permitted  to  return 
and  rebuild  the  wall  of  Jerusalem,  nobly  answered  his  idle 
opposers,  "I  am  doing  a  great  work  I  cannot  come  down  to 
you." 


54  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Daniel,  when  a  captive  youth,  "purposed  in  his  heart 
not  to  defile  himself  with  the  King's  meat  or  the  wine  which 
he  drank,"  or  be  swerved  from  his  fidelity  to  the  living  and 
true  God  by  threats  of  the  lion's  den.  When  the  lives  of 
the  wise  men  of  Babylon  were  in  danger  of  being  suddenly 
taken  by  royal  command,  he  is  introduced  to  King  Nebu- 
chadnezzar with  the  significant  words,  "I  have  found  a  MAN 
of  the  captives  of  Judah  that  will  make  known  to  the  King 
the  interpretation."  He  was  a  man  whose  power  of  vision 
enabled  him  to  forecast  the  future  correctly  and  possessed 
the  courage  to  act  prudently.  Though  a  captive  and  denied 
many  privileges,  he  proved  himself  an  intelligent  and  trust- 
worthy man  and,  serving  as  a  special  counsellor  of  five  suc- 
cessive heathen  kings,  achieved  for  himself  the  worthy  rep- 
utation of  being  the  greatest  statesman  of  his  age. 

All  of  these  men  discovered,  that  their  imprisonment  or 
captivity  was  a  part  of  the  divine  plan,  that  providentially 
led  and  prepared  them  for  their  real  mission,  which  in  each 
instance  proved  to  be  one  of  prominent  usefulness. 

All  of  them  were  true  patriots,  but  none  of  them  were 
"office  seekers"  or  "corrupt  politicians."  They  loved  more 
than  any  other  their  own  native  land,  because  of  its  sacred 
literature  and  religious  institutions,  but  they  were  loyal 
and  true  to  those  who  ruled  over  them  in  a  foreign  land. 
If  any  of  them  had  manifested  a  political  ambition,  the 
divine  plan,  in  regard  to  their  promotion  and  usefulness, 
would  have  been  immediately  frustrated,  and  the  memory 
of  their  names  would  have  perished  with  their  generation. 

A  DIVINE  MISSION 
May  we  not  believe  that  God  had  a  plan  and  purpose, 
in  bringing  the  negro  to  the  christian  colonies,  that  estab- 
lished our  government  on  the  fundamental  principles  of 


THE  PROBLEM  OF  THE  FREEDMAN  55 

civil  and  religious  liberty.  His  condition  during  the  period 
of  servitude,  which  lasted  246  years,  was  perhaps  in  many 
places  but  little  worse  than  that  of  most  of  his  kinsmen  in 
Africa,  during  this  same  period;  while  now,  at  the  end  of 
the  first  fifty  years  of  freedom,  the  condition  and  prospects 
of  the  intelligent  and  prosperous  ones  among  them,  are  de- 
clared to  be  better  than  those  enjoyed  by  their  kinsmen, 
any  where  on  earth. 

THE  FREEDMAN'S  FRIENDS 

The  Freedman  has  hosts  of  friends,  who  are  interested 
in  his  welfare.  He  has  interested  neighbors,  amongst 
whom  he  lives,  and  also  friends  at  a  distance.  Both  are 
trying  to  solve  the  problem  of  his  true  relation  to  Ameri- 
can institutions  and  privileges.  While  both  have  been  co- 
operating together  to  a  considerable  extent  and  in  a  very 
commendable  manner  for  the  betterment  of  his  condition, 
it  remains  to  note  however  that  if  one  is  considered  by  the 
other  as  moving  too  slowly,  or  too  rapidly,  one  acts  as  a 
gentle  spur  or  check  to  the  other. 

This  is  the  harmonizing  process  that  is  now  going  on 
among  the  friends  of  the  Freedman.  He  is  scarcely  regard- 
ed as  a  participating  factor  in  this  harmonizing  process. 
There  are  times  when  to  him  every  new  event  seems  to  be 
one  moving  him  in  the  wrong  direction.  His  natural  im- 
pulse, on  experiencing  these  apparently  adverse  movements, 
is  to  raise  the  voice  of  bitter  complaint  against  one  set  of 
his  friends.  When  this  is  done  in  a  personal  or  partisan  way 
it  is  offensive  and  always  does  more  harm  than  good.  This 
method  of  procedure  should  therefore  never  be  approved  or 
adopted. 


56  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

FRIENDLY  COUNSELS 

A  respectful  protest  against  a  wrong  and  an  appeal 
to  have  it  removed,  addressed  to  the  person  or  body  having 
the  power  to  remove  it,  is  an  inherent  right  and  a  proper 
method  of  procedure  whenever  deemed  advisable. 

"Love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself"  should  be  regarded  as 
a  fundamental  principle  by  every  Freedman.  When  the 
herdmen  of  Abraham  and  Lot  had  a  little  trouble  over 
cattle  and  pastures,  Abraham,  who  had  received  all  the 
land  by  promise  and  Lot  was  really  a  troublesome  intrud- 
er, discovered  the  greatness  of  his  soul  and  settled  the  dif- 
ficulty by  saying  to  Lot, 

"Let  there  be  no  strife,  I  pray  thee,  between  me  and 
thee,  and  between  my  herdmen  and  thy  herdmen,  for  we  be 
brethren. 

"Is  not  the  whole  land  before  thee?  Separate  thyself 
from  me,  if  thou  wilt  take  the  left  hand,  then  I  will  go  to 
the  right,  or  if  thou  depart  to  the  right  hand,  then  I  will  go 
to  the  left." 

Do  not  become  impatient.  Your  friends  at  a  distance, 
especially  those  in  the  churches,  are  generously  endeav- 
oring to  help  you  to  climb  the  ladder  of  progress,  until  a 
larger  proportion  of  the  race  has  been  uplifted  to  the  plane 
of  an  enlightened  christian  civilization. 

That  the  Freedman,  notwithstanding  his  wonderful 
progress  during  the  last  fifty  years,  is  still  in  an  infantile 
condition,  is  freely  confessed.  It  was  eighty  years  from  the 
time  the  helpless  babe  was  uplifted  from  the  river,  before 
Moses  was  called  to  be  the  leader  and  deliverer  of  Israel. 
The  uplift  from  the  river  and  training  in  his  case  came 
from  the  gentle  hands  of  others.  This  fact  is  quite  signifi- 
cant. 


THE  PROBLEM  OF  THE  FREEDMAN  57 

The  Freedman  who,  avoiding  the  worthless  and  cor- 
rupt politician  and  over  zealous  office  seeker,  makes  a  good 
success  of  his  farm  and  co-operates  cordially  with  his 
friends  and  neighbors  in  effecting  the  educational  and  moral 
uplift  of  his  race,  will  be  happiest  while  he  lives  and  do 
most  to  hasten  the  day,  when  political  privileges,  now  tem- 
porarily withheld,  will  be  restored  to  those  who  are  found 
capable  and  worthy  of  their  enjoyment. 

If  you  happen  to  live  in  a  state  where  your  neighbor 
does  not  wish  you  to  be  a  politician  and  hold  office,  do  not 
worry.  There  are  thousands  of  citizens  every  year  and  in 
all  parts  of  our  land,  who  do  not  vote  and  merely  because 
they  do  not  care  to  do  so. 

The  voice  of  protest,  against  the  useless  and  corrupt 
politician,  is  now  heard  in  all  parts  of  our  land.  In  many 
of  our  cities,  he  has  already  been  relegated  to  the  junk 
heap,  by  the  adoption  of  the  commission  form  of  govern- 
ment. Two  of  the  states,  Kansas  and  Oklahoma,  are  now 
vieing  with  each  other,  to  see  which  shall  be  first  to  adopt 
the  same  system  in  the  management  of  the  public  affairs 
of  the  state,  and  thus  dispense  with  a  lot  of  unnecessary 
public  officials. 

"A  public  office  is  a  public  trust"  and  affords  an  op- 
portunity to  render  a  useful  and  honorable  service,  but 
holding  public  office  is  not  essential  to  the  happiness  and 
prosperity  of  any  of  us.  An  over  eager  desire  to  hold  pub- 
lic office  often  suggests  nothing  more,  than  an  effort  to  find 
employment  for  the  idle.  The  better  way,  as  in  the  cases 
of  Saul  and  David,  kings  of  Israel,  and  of  Washington  and 
Grant,  commanders-in-chief  of  our  armies,  is  to  let  the  of- 
fice seek  the  man. 


58  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

THE  GOLDEN  RULE 

"As  ye  would  that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  also  to 
them." 

The  application  of  the  Golden  Rule  to  this  part  of  this 

problem,  suggests  that  every  man  is  entitled  to  recogni- 
tion according  to  his  worth. 

"Our  country  can  fulfil  its  high  mission  among  the  na- 
tions of  the  earth,  conferring  lasting  benefits  on  ourselves 
and  all  mankind,  only  by  guaranteeing  to  its  humblest  citi- 
zen his  just  right  to  life,  liberty,  protection  from  injustice, 
the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  his  own  labor  and  the  pur- 
suit of  happiness  in  his  own  way,  as  long  as  he  walks  in  the 
path  of  rectitude  and  duty  and  does  not  trespass  upon  the 
rights  of  others,"  declares  ex-President  Roosevelt. 

"Morality,  and  not  expediency,  is  the  thing  that  must 
guide  us,"  is  the  emphatic  declaration  of  President  Wood- 
row  Wilson.  The  false  assumption  that  "the  end  justifies 
the  means  has  come  from  self-centered  men,  who  see  in 
their  own  interests  the  interests  of  the  country,  and  do  not 
have  vision  enough  to  read  it  in  wider  terms,  the  universal 
terms  of  equity  and  justice." 


VI 

VOICES  FROM  THE  BLACK  BELT 

"If  any  man  hear  my  voice  and  open  the  door." 

>N  a  discussion  of  the  Negro  problem  it  is 
eminently  appropriate  the  Freedman  and 
his  neighbor  be  accorded  the  privilege  of 
expressing  their  respective  views.  The 
thoughts  expressed  in  this  chapter  have 
been  gleaned  principally  from  the  columns  of  the  Afro- 
American,  a  colored  weekly,  published  by  the  faculty  of 
Biddle  University,  Charlotte,  North  Carolina. 

The  problem  of  the  negro  relates  to  his  capacity  for  im- 
provement and  self-support.  Is  the  American  negro,  after 
centuries  of  slavery,  that  kept  the  race  in  an  infantile  con- 
dition, capable  of  development  and  self  support? 

Over  this  question  the  people  of  our  country  have  ex- 
pressed differing  opinions,  many  insisting  that  the  servant 
condition  is  the  better  one  for  the  American  negro.  The 
Presbyterian  Standard,  published  at  Charlotte,  N.  C,  a  sec- 
tion of  country  in  which  the  latter  sentiment  still  prevails, 
recently  bore  this  testimony  to  their  progress. 

"While  it  is  true  of  them  as  a  mass  that  they  are  an  in- 
fantile race,  it  is  not  true  of  them  in  many  individual  cases. 
There  are  thousands  of  them,  who  have  advanced  wonder- 
fully during  the  last  fifty  years.  They  have  made  progress  in 
every  line.  They  are  owning  more  farms  every  year,  and  in 
our  cities  they  are  buying  homes,  which  sometimes  would 
do  credit  to  a  more  enlightened  people.  Their  churches  are 
not  only  built  in  better  taste,  but  their  preachers  are  be- 


60  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

coming  better  educated,  and  are  exerting  a  stronger  moral 
influence  than  ever  before." 

This  frank  statement  fairly  represents  the  sentiment 
of  the  thoughtful  christian  people  of  the  south.  Some  who 
have  thought  otherwise  have  been  led  to  admit  that,  "while 
great  advance  has  been  made  by  a  race  only  fifty  years  old, 
it  is  still  in  its  infancy  and  therefore  in  the  servant  condi- 
tion."   Nor  is  it  any  exception  in  this  respect. 

Through  adversity  and  hard  treatment,  the  Irish  people 
who  first  came  to  this  country  were  largely  in  a  servant  con- 
dition. They  accepted  it.  They  became  our  domestics  and 
built  our  railroads.  But  "Pat"  is  not  on  the  railroad  now.  He 
is  found  occupying  the  seat  of  the  chief  justice,  or  serving 
as  private  secretary  of  the  president  and  filling  many  other 
positions  of  honor  and  influence  throughout  the  country. 

What  is  thus  true  of  the  Irishman,  is  also  true  of  other 
Europeans,  who  came  to  this  country.  It  is  an  honor  to 
them,  that  they  truly  appreciated  their  condition,  accepted 
it  and,  through  an  honest  and  valiant  struggle,  rose  above 
that  condition  to  something  better. 

The  American  negro  is  now  making  it  evident,  that  he  is 
no  exception  to  this  general  law  of  progress,  under  favorable 
conditions.  It  is  neither  necessary  nor  prudent  to  blind 
their  eyes  in  regard  to  their  real  condition  and  status.  Their 
best  friends  are  those  who  encourage  them  to  accept  the  sit- 
uation in  which  they  have  been  placed  by  an  over  ruling 
providence,  and,  through  a  noble  endeavor,  worthy  of  divine 
favor,  rise  to  something  better. 

Their  friends  assist  them  best  by  aiding  and  encourag- 
ing them  to  make  this  noble  endeavor,  without  which  they 
cannot  rise.  The  mass  of  the  people  must  have  native  teach- 
ers and  preachers  to  serve  as  leaders.     This  suggests  the 


VOICES  FROM  THE  BLACK  BELT      61 

need  of  two  kinds  of  educational  facilities.  A  common  in- 
dustrial education,  that  will  enable  the  mass  of  the  people 
to  achieve  success  in  their  daily  avocations ;  and  some  spec- 
ial educational  facilities  of  a  higher  grade,  to  prepare  the 
needed  supply  of  teachers,  preachers  and  other  leaders. 

The  mass  of  the  people  need  an  education,  the  scope  of 
which  will  reach  their  physical,  mental  and  spiritual  nat- 
ures. Their  greatest  need  is  instruction  in  the  Bible,  that 
it  may  exert  its  saving  power  on  their  early  lives  and  ani- 
mate them  with  noble  aspirations. 

THE  CRY  OF  THE  BLACK  BELT 

"They  shall  cry  unto  the  Lord  because  of  the  oppres- 
sors and  he  shall  send  them  a  Saviour  and  a  great  one  and  he 
shall  deliver  them." — Isaiah. 

The  following  appeal  in  behalf  of  the  Freedmen,  by 
Rev.  A.  W.  Verner,  D.  D.,  president  of  Scotia  Seminary, 
Concord,  North  Carolina,  one  of  the  five  normal  schools  of 
the  Presbyterian  board,  especially  intended  for  girls,  is  so 
well  and  forcibly  expressed,  we  are  sure  it  will  be  appre- 
ciated by  every  reader. 

"The  urgent  call  from  the  black  belt  is  the  cry  of  souls 
in  distress,  the  cry  of  humanity.  Fifty  years  of  unprece- 
dented progress,  in  every  line  of  industrial  and  intellectual 
pursuits  and  religious  development,  on  the  part  of  a  con- 
siderable number  of  the  colored  people,  show  clearly,  that 
the  negro  is  capable  of  receiving  and  using  to  good  advant- 
age the  education  and  training  of  the  christian  school. 

"Industrial  education,  that  lacks  genuine  christian  cul- 
ture, does  not  provide  leaders  of  the  right  character  to  re- 
deem the  race,  and  many  of  our  friends  in  the  south  do  not 
care  to  open  to  the  negro  the  doors  of  opportunity,  to  de- 
relop  and  manifest  the  best  that  is  in  him.  It  is  therefore 
to  the  christian  church  of  the  north  and  to  individuals,  who 
have  come  to  recognize  the  bond  of  human  brotherhood,  to 
whom  this  infant  race  still  makes  its  appeal. 


62  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

"The  sad  and  degraded  condition  of  great  masses  of  the 
race  in  many  localities  of  the  south,  ought  to  be  an  appeal, 
silent  indeed  but  sufficiently  strong,  to  awaken  the  sympa- 
thy of  every  one,  capable  of  being  touched  by  the  cry  of 
needy  humanity.  As  a  representative  of  the  great  Pres- 
byterian church,  that  has  called  me  into  a  very  important 
and  necessary  field  of  her  work,  I  earnestly  appeal  to  our 
people  to  do  more  for  the  establishment  and  fostering  of 
christian  schools  among  the  great  masses  of  the  black  belt. 

The  christian  church  and  the  christian  school  have 
something  to  give,  that  can  be  gotten  nowhere  else.  The 
public  school  where  established  and  industrial  training 
where  available  are  good  and  necessary.  But  the 
christian  school  is  still  needed  and  very  greatly,  to  give 
moral  and  spiritual  ballast  to  the  individual.  The  leaven  of 
gospel  power  and  purity  is  needed,  to  give  moral  strength 
to  the  character  and  the  highest  degree  of  usefulness  in 
life. 

CHRISTIAN  EDUCATION 

"Christian  education  is  not  narrow,  it  takes  in  every 
phase  of  training  that  is  essential  to  produce  a  well  devel- 
oped and  useful  life.  It  touches  and  tints  industrial  train- 
ing with  a  brighter  and  richer  glow.  It  quickens  the  facul- 
ties of  the  mind,  adds  keenness  to  the  power  of  perception, 
forms  permanent  habits  of  industry  and  strengthens  the 
will  or  purpose  to  do  right. 

"Christian  education  emphasizes  the  fact  that  it  is  not 
merely  book  learning — storing  the  mind  with  knowledge  of 
facts  or  training  the  hands  to  work,  but  includes  moral  ele- 
vation, as  well  as  intellectual  development.  It  includes 
everything  that  tends  to  make  the  life  purer,  better  and 
more  useful.  It  begets  and  fosters  a  spirit  of  hopefulness. 
It  develops  that  patience  and  perseverance  that  is  needed 
for  the  best  performance  of  every  day's  duties. 

"Christian  education  emphasizes  personal  purity,  pur- 
ity of  the  family  life  and  the  sacredness  of  the  marriage  re- 
lation. Its  whole  trend  and  effect  is  upward.  Its  genius 
is  moral,  spiritual,  industrial,  domestic,  social  and  individ- 
ual elevation.  It  creates  a  hunger  and  thirst  for  higher  and 
better  things.  It  is  the  mountain  summit  from  whose 
height  one  gets  a  broader  vision,  a  clearer  view  of  the  pos- 


VOICES  FROM  THE  BLACK  BELT      63 

sibilities  and  demands  of  life  and  a  truer  conception  of  all 
human  relations. 

This  is  the  provision  that  must  be  made  for  our  black 
brother.  Nothing  less  will  meet  his  needs.  A  great  respon- 
sibility rests  with  negro  leaders  who  have  attained  a  good 
degree  of  intelligence  and  refinement,  but  a  greater  re- 
sponsibility still  rests  upon  the  people  of  richer  blessing  and 
greater  power. 

"If  the  spirit  of  true  democracy,  which  declares,  'op- 
portunity for  every  one,  according  to  his  capacity  and 
merit/  and  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  whose  principle  is, 
'Help  for  the  weaker  as  the  stronger  is  able  to  give  it,'  be 
exercised  toward  the  negro,  many  of  the  difficulties  will 
vanish,  better  conditions  will  prevail  and  more  desirable 
results  will  be  secured." 

This  cry  of  humanity  from  the  black  belt  of  our  land 
is  very  touching  and  suggestive.  It  suggests  the  negro's 
greatest  and  most  urgent  needs,  the  Bible,  the  Bible  school 
and  the  christian  teacher. 

It  is  the  silent  appeal  of  Joseph  while  passing  through 
the  pit  and  the  prison  in  the  land  of  Israel's  enslavement. 
Beyond  these  dark  and  unpleasant  experiences  there  await- 
ed for  Joseph  a  career  of  great  usefulness  in  the  land  of 
his  previous  imprisonment. 

Let  us  recognize  the  fact  that  God  has  a  great  use  for 
the  FYeedman  in  this  our  native  land,  because  he  has  provi- 
dentially brought  him  here  and  increased  his  number  so 
greatly. 

A  spirit  of  true  patriotism,  as  well  as  the  tie  of  chris- 
tian brotherhood,  prompts  the  lending  of  a  helping  hand 
and  an  encouraging  word,  while  he  solves  the  problem  of 
his  own  destiny  of  great  usefulness  in  the  home,  the  school, 
the  church,  in  the  shop,  on  the  farm  and  in  the  fields  of  pro- 
fessional opportunity  and  business  activity. 


64 


CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 


It  may  be  truly  said  of  the  Freedmen  that  they  repre- 
sent the  poor  of  this  world,  of  whom  the  Lord  Jesus  said, 
"Ye  have  the  poor  always  with  you,  Me  ye  have  not  al- 
ways. Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least 
of  these,  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  Me." 


VII 

UPLIFTING  INFLUENCES 

FROM   DARKNESS   TO   LIGHT.— AN   HISTORIC   COMPARISON. 

"Look  unto  the  rock  whence  ye  were  hewn,  and  to  the 
hole  of  the  pit  whence  ye  were  digged." — Isaiah  51:1. 

FROM  DARKNESS  TO  LIGHT 

i^ij^^^^/fJHE  historic  incidents,    having   an    uplifting 
f  y[  influence  that  occurred  among  the  Choctaw 

Freedmen  of  Indian  Territory,  from  the 
time  of  their  first  instruction  in  the  Bible 
to  the  establishment  and  present  develop- 
ment of  Oak  Hill  Industrial  Academy,  when  briefly  sum- 
marized, seem  like  a  reproduction  on  a  miniature  scale  of 
those  greater  events  that  occurred  among  the  Christian  na- 
tions of  Europe  and  America  preceding  the  adoption  of 
their  systems  of  public  instruction. 

I.    THE  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Rev.  Cyrus  Kingsbury,  a  generous  hearted  missionary 
to  the  Indians,  having  charge  of  a  church  building  at 
Doaksville,  encourages  the  slaves  in  the  vicinity  to  meet  in 
it  occasionally  on  Sabbath  afternoons,  for  the  purpose  of  re- 
ceiving instruction  in  the  Bible  and  shorter  catechism. 

This  Bible  instruction  does  not  result  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  a  church  at  that  place,  but  opportunity  is  given  for 
the  manifestation  and  development  of  the  religious  in- 
stinct of  a  number  of  persons,  amongst  whom  there  are  two 

3 


66  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

young  men,  who  were  destined  later  to  become  influential 
leaders  among  the  enslaved  people  whom  they  represented. 
After  their  emancipation,  one  locates  on  the  west  bank 
of  the  Kiamichi  river  and  later  becomes  known  as  Parson 
Stewart,  the  organizer  and  circuit  rider  of  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  churches,  at  the  time  of  his  decease  in  1896,  to  form 
the  Presbytery  of  Ki  a  mich  i. 

The  other,  accompanied  by  several  personal  friends, 
migrates  fifteen  miles  eastward  and  founds  a  home  in  the 
Oak  Hill  neighborhood.  In  the  course  of  a  short  time  he 
is  visited  by  the  parson  and  his  home  becomes  a  house  of 
worship,  where  a  church  is  organized  and  Henry  Crittenden 
is  ordained  "~  '"'■ "  n 

illows  the  es- 
oiiip,  and  two  years  later  it  is 
■_  establishment  of  a  week-day  school,  for 
mefit  of  all  the  children  and  youth  in  the  neighbor- 
hood.   Eight  years  later,  when  the  trained  missionary  teach- 
er arrives,  the  inspiration  of  a  new  life  is  infused  into  the 
church  and  Sunday  school,   and  the  week-day  school  be- 
comes an  important  industrial  academy,  where  the  Bible 
is  the  basis  of  the  moral  and  religious  instruction.    In  1905 
they  receive  an  allotment  of  lands  that  they  may  become  in- 
dependent owners  of  their  own  homes.     In  1908  statehood 
brings  the  rural  public  school  and  in  1912,  an  intelligent 
Freedman  is  entrusted  with  the  management  of  the  Indus- 
trial Academy,  church  and  farm. 

This  sequence  of  events  includes  the  dark  period  of 
slavery  and  illiteracy  followed  by  instruction  in  the  Bible, 
the  light  of  the  world ;  the  development  of  the  native  preach- 
er of  the  gospel  as  a  leader,  the  organization  of  the  church, 
followed  by  the  Sunday  school,  the  week-day  school,  the 


UPLIFTING  INFLUENCES  67 

academy,  normal,  public  school  and  finally  a  native  superin- 
tendent of  the  academy  and  independent  ownership  of  land. 

II.  THE  EUROPEANS  AND  AMERICANS 
THE  DARK  AGES 
The  period  from  the  8th  to  the  12th  centuries  of  the 
christian  era  has  been  classed  by  historians  as  the  "Dark 
Ages"  of  the  world,  because  of  the  general  prevalence  in 
Europe  of  ignorance,  superstition  and  barbarism.  Some 
of  the  leading  events  that  occurred  during  this  gloomy 
period,  immediately  following  the  decline  and  fall  of  the 
Roman  Empire,  tended  almost  wholly  to  check  the  spread 
of  intelligence  and  the  prosperity  of  the  people,  rather 
than  to  promote  their  welfare.  The  Scrptures  were  neglect- 
ed and  the  clergy  as  well  as  the  people  became  worldly,  ig- 
norant, selfish  and  superstitious. 

THE  SARACENS  AND  NORMANS 
These  unfavorable  events  included,  at  the  beginning  of 
this  period,  the  invasion  of  Palestine  and  southern  Europe 
including  Spain,  its  most  western  state,  by  the  Moham- 
medans of  Arabia,  often  called  Saracens  and  Infidels,  who 
were  fanatically  inflamed  with  a  passion  to  destroy  with 
the  sword  all  the  people  of  the  world,  who  would  not  obey 
Mohammed,  their  prophet.  During  the  next  century  Ger- 
many, Britain,  Holland  and  France,  then  called  Gaul,  were 
ruthlessly  invaded  by  conquering  hordes  of  the  adventurous 
and  barbarous  Normans,  who  came  from  Norway,  Swed- 
en and  Denmark,  countries  north  of  the  Baltic  Sea. 

THE  CRUSADERS  OR  CROSS-BEARERS 
These  invasions  were  followed  by  the  period  of  the 
Crusaders,   1096  to   1271,  when   as  many  as  seven  great 
armies  or  multitudes  of  people  were  assembled  at  the  call 


68  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

of  the  popes,  and  wearing  crosses  on  their  shoulders,  march- 
ed through  the  intervening  countries  to  Palestine.  Their 
object  was  to  rescue  the  city  of  Jerusalem  and  the  holy 
sepulchre  from  the  infidels.  The  first  crusade  was  organ- 
ized in  France,  and  if  enlisted  an  army  of  800,000.  God- 
frey, duke  of  Lorraine,  was  placed  in  command,  and  the 
multitude  was  arranged  for  the  march  in  three  divisions. 
Peter,  the  hermit,  a  wrong-headed  monk,  was  appointed  lead- 
er of  the  first  division  and  experienced  an  inglorious  and  ir- 
reparable defeat  on  the  way.  Godfrey,  after  the  siege  and 
conquest  of  Jerusalem  in  1099,  was  chosen  King  to  rule 
over  Palestine  and  the  holy  city,  as  his  kingdom.  At  the 
time  of  his  coronation  he  made  the  noble  remark,  that, 

"He  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  wearing  a  crown  of 
gold  in  that  city,  where  the  King  of  Kings  had  been  crowned 
with  thorns." 

The  brave  soldier  and  manly  man,  who  gave  expres- 
sion to  this  noble  sentiment,  died  the  next  year. 

Under  weak  and  unskilful  chiefs  the  crusaders  while 
on  the  way  wandered  about  like  undisciplined  bands  of  rob- 
bers, plundering  cities,  committing  the  most  abominable 
enormities,  and  spreading  misery  and  desolation  where- 
ever  they  passed.  There  was  no  kind  of  insolence,  injustice 
and  barbarity  of  which  they  were  not  guilty.  The  seven 
successive  crusades  drained  the  wealth  of  the  fairest  prov- 
inces and  caused  the  loss  of  a  prodigious  number  of  people. 

Those  of  the  first  crusade,  that  remained  in  Palestine, 
were  divided  by  sordid  ambition  and  avarice,  and  in  1187 
Saladin,  sultan  of  Egypt  and  Syria,  the  most  valiant  chief  of 
the  Mohammedan  warriors,  recaptured  Jerusalem  and 
subsequent  crusaders  were  not  able  to  regain  it. 


UPLIFTING  INFLUENCES  69 

FIRST  RAYS  OF  LIGHT 

The  first  rays  of  light,  that  serve  to  dispel  the  dark- 
ness of  prevailing  night,  may  be  briefly  summarized  in  the 
following  leading  events. 

In  901  Alfred  the  Great,  king  of  England,  founds  a  sem- 
inary at  Oxford  to  promote  the  study  of  sacred  literature. 
Later  it  becomes  a  university,  the  first  one  in  Europe,  and 
it  is  still  distinguished  as  one  of  the  greatest  institutions  in 
the  world  for  publishing  the  Scriptures  in  a  form  suited  for 
the  use  of  preachers  and  christian  teachers.  Two  centur- 
ies later  the  second  university  is  founded  at  Cambridge, 
England. 

About  1170  Peter  Waldo  of  Lyons,  France,  committing 
to  memory  such  portions  of  the  Scriptures  as  he  could  ob- 
tain, and  taking  for  his  favorite  saying,  the  command  of 
our  Lord  to  the  rich  youth,  "If  thou  wilt  be  perfect,  go  and 
sell  that  thou  hast,  and  give  to  the  poor,  and  thou  shalt 
have  treasure  in  heaven,  and  come,  follow  me,"  commences 
to  preach  the  gospel,  as  the  Apostles  had  done,  in  the  homes 
of  the  people  and  in  their  market  places.  As  he  attracts 
followers,  who  also  commit  portions  of  the  Scriptures,  he 
sends  them  out  like  the  seventy,  two  and  two,  to  preach  the 
Word  of  God.  They  are  called  Waldenses,  after  the  name  of 
their  leader,  and  oppose  corrupt  doctrines  and  practices 
with  the  plain  truths  of  the  Word  of  God.  They  oppose 
the  crusades,  as  fanatical  expeditions  on  the  part  of  those 
who  were  not  Jews,  and  therefore  were  unjust  and  unlaw- 
ful. They  insist  the  church  consists  not  merely  of  the  clergy 
or  priests,  but  includes  the  whole  family  of  believers. 

The  advocacy  of  these  principles  and  by  laymen,  causes 
them  to  be  excommunicated,  then  anathematized  and  fin- 
ally to  be  condemned  by  a  council  at  Rome  in  1179.  Peter 


70  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Waldo,  their  leader,  flees  from  land  to  land,  preaching  as 
he  goes  and  dies  in  Bohemia  in  1197. 

In  1215,  King  John  of  England,  yielding  to  the  insistent 
demand  of  the  barons,  issued  the  Magna  Charta,  (Great 
Charter)  the  first  grant  of  English  constitutional  liberty, 
pledging  the  right  of  trial  by  jury  and  protection  of  life, 
liberty  and  property  from  unlawful  deprivation.  It  is  im- 
mediately denounced  by  the  pope,  Innocent  III,  who  ab- 
solves the  king  from  all  obligation  to  keep  the  pledges  there- 
in expressed  and  solemnized  by  the  royal  oath. 

In  1366  John  Wiclif,  a  graduate  of  Oxford  and  member 
of  the  English  Parliament,  presents  to  that  body  indisput- 
able reasons,  why,  without  the  approval  of  the  Parliament, 
not  even  the  king  of  England  could  make  their  lands  sub- 
ject to  a  tax  claimed  by  a  foreign  sovereign,  representing 
the  papacy.  As  a  religious  leader,  he  instructs  his  follow- 
ers, called  "poor  priests,"  to  pass  from  village  to  village  and 
city  to  city,  and  to  preach,  admonish  and  instruct  the  peo- 
ple in  "God's  Law."  Pie  accomplishes  the  translation  of  the 
Latin  Vulgate  into  the  English  of  his  day,  that  his  coun- 
trymen might  have  the  Scriptures  in  their  own  language. 

Charles  V,  king  of  France,  has  the  scriptures  translat- 
ed into  the  French  language,  for  the  enlightenment  of  his 
people. 

During  this  14th  century  seventeen  universities  are 
founded  and  they  include  the  one  at  Geneva  in  Switzerland, 
Heidelberg  in  Germany  and  Prague  in  Bohemia. 

THE  MORNING  STAR 

In  1401  John  Huss  of  Bohemia,  the  Morning  Star  or 

John  Baptist  of  the  Reformation,  appears  as  "the  voice  of 

one  crying  in  the  wilderness."    His  mother,  left  a  widow  in 

early  life,  gave  him  to  the  service  of  the  Lord  as  he  lay  in 


BIDDLE  UNIVERSITY,  CHARLOTTE,  N.  C. 


BETHESDA  MISSION,  WYNNEWOOD,  OKLA. 


[70] 


UPLIFTING  INFLUENCES.  71 

the  cradle,  and  later,  like  Hannah  of  old,  took  him  to  the 
school  at  Prague. 

When  he  became  a  preacher  he  found  the  Lord's  vine- 
yard a  desert,  the  ministers  of  religion,  the  priests,  ignor- 
ant, worldly  and  dissolute,  and  the  popes  of  that  period  no 
better  than  the  priests.  The  people,  designedly  chained 
to  the  basest  superstitions  and  following  the  example  of 
their  leaders,  have  cast  aside  the  restraints  of  chastity  and 
morality.  His  heart  touched  with  pity  at  the  sight  of  the 
religious  destitution  of  the  people,  his  anger,  like  that 
of  Moses  "waxed  hot"  against  those,  who  should  have  given 
them  the  gospel  of  their  salvation.  Encouraged  by  the  ex- 
ample of  Wiclif  to  make  known  the  truth,  he  affirms  the 
supreme  authority  of  the  scriptures,  proclaims  against  the 
abuse  of  the  clergy  and  endeavors  to  regenerate  the  relig- 
ious life  of  both  priests  and  people.  His  glowing  zeal  for  the 
honor  of  God  and  the  church  move  the  people  in  a  way 
until  then  unknown ;  but  the  priests,  unwilling  to  reform  or 
longer  endure  his  piercing  protests,  falsely  accuse  him  of 
heresy.  In  1416,  after  fifteen  years  of  selfdenying  and  he- 
roic service,  he  is  condemned  at  Constance  and  suffers  mar- 
tyrdom at  the  stake.  A  century  later  Luther,  who  imbibed 
his  heroic  spirit,  said  of  him,  "The  gospel  we  now  have  was 
born  out  of  the  blood  of  John  Huss." 

THE  FIRST  PRINTED  BIBLE 
The  art  of  printing  is  invented  and  the  Vulgate,  a 
Latin  Bible,  is  the  first  book  printed.  It  is  issued  in  1450 
and  is  printed  on  a  hand  press  at  Mentz,  Germany.  Previous 
to  this  event  and  date  all  books  were  in  the  form  of  costly 
manuscripts  and  their  number  could  be  increased,  only  one 
copy  at  a  time,  by  penmen  called  copyists. 


72  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

The  mariners  compass  is  invented  and  in  1492  Colum- 
bus discovers  America,  and  thirty  years  later  Magellan  sails 
around  the  world. 

During  this  15th  century  the  universities  of  Glasgow 
and  St.  Andrews  are  founded  in  Scotland,  Mentz  and  eight- 
een others,  on  the  continent. 

III.    THE  REFORMATION 
MARTIN  LUTHER 

"Arise,  shine,  for  thy  Light  is  Come." 
In  1517,  Martin  Luther,  the  apostle  of  the  German 
nation,  a  man  of  learning  and  undaunted  courage,  whose 
equal  had  not  been  known  since  the  days  of  Paul,  appears 
as  the  valiant  and  steadfast  leader  of  the  Reformation  in 
Germany.  In  1530  he  becomes  the  founder  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Lutheran  church,  and  aided  by  Melancthon,  suc- 
ceeds in  translating  and  giving  to  the  German  people  the 
Bible  in  their  own  language,  and  in  preparing  the  Augsburg 
confession  that  has  since  served  as  a  standard  of  faith  and 
bond  of  union  for  the  Lutheran  churches  in  Europe  and 
America. 

Emotion  and  imaginative  piety  have  become  the  hand- 
maids of  superstition;  and  patriotism,  lacking  courage,  has 
covered  its  face.  He  writes  hymns  and  patriotic  songs,  that 
inspire  the  German  heart  with  loyalty  to  the  truth  and  de- 
votion to  their  Fatherland. 

JOHN  CALVIN 
In  1527,  John  Calvin,  a  man  of  great  learning  and  glow- 
ing eloquence  with  burning  zeal  for  the  honor  of  his  Master, 
appears  as  the  leader  of  the  Reformation  in  France,  but 
nine  years  later,  joins  Farrel,  the  successor  of  the  zealous 
but  fallen  Zwingli,  in  Switzerland,  and  becomes  head  of  the 


UPLIFTING  INFLUENCES  73 

university  at  Geneva.  He  secures  the  adoption  of  a  con- 
stitution, that  gave  and  also  limited  the  authority  of  the 
church  to  spiritual,  and  of  the  state  to  temporal  matters; 
and  thus  prepares  the  way  for  the  separation  anew  of 
church  and  state,  and  the  enjoyment  of  civil  and  religious 
liberty. 

Educated  for  the  priesthood,  he  is  assigned  a  parish 
and  there  obtained  a  copy  of  the  Scriptures.  When  he  dis- 
covered the  erroneous  teaching  and  practices  of  the  church 
of  Rome,  he  resigns  his  charge  and  completes  a  course  in 
law  and  another  in  theology  in  the  University  of  Paris.  He 
becomes  a  man  void  of  fear  and  is  borne  onward  on  the 
wings  of  a  living  faith.  Following  the  example  of  Paul  in 
his  letters  to  the  churches,  and  of  Augustine,  bishop  of 
Hippo  (391-446)  in  North  Africa,  he  undertakes  to  state 
in  a  systematic  form  the  great  facts  and  doctrines  of  the 
Bible,  as  one  of  the  best  means  of  opposing  and  overcoming 
prevailing  errors  and  corrupt  practices  in  church  and  state. 

He  feels  the  Spirit  of  God  moving  him  to  blazon  tri- 
umphantly, the  thought  of  God's  sovereignty  and  man's 
utter  dependency,  in  order  to  dash  in  pieces  the  prevalent 
self  righteousness.  His  writings,  by  emphasizing  the  su- 
preme authority  of  the  Divine  Word,  have  tended  to  raise 
the  moral  standard  of  individuals  and  communities,  and  by 
emphasizing  the  moral  law,  to  lessen  the  distinction  be- 
tween the  "sins"  of  the  Bible  and  "crimes"  of  the  civil  law. 
Their  tendency  has  been  to  make  the  moral  law  the  rule 
for  states  as  well  as  persons. 

Presbyterianism,  or  government  of  the  church  by  rul- 
ing elders  and  presbyters  as  in  the  apostolic  period,  and  Re- 
publicanism, government  by  representatives,  are  advo- 
cated with  transcendent  ability,  and  success.     After  the 


74  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

death  of  Luther  in  1546,  Calvin  exerts  a  great  influence  over 
the  thinking  men  of  that  notable  period  in  Switzerland, 
France,  Germany,  Holland,  Italy,  England  and  Scotland. 
The  young  preachers,  sent  out  from  the  university  at 
Geneva,  establish  2,150  reformed  congregations  in  these 
countries,  and  in  1564,  the  last  year  of  his  life,  the  confes- 
sion of  the  reformed  churches  in  France  is  officially  recog- 
nized by  the  state. 

An  ardent  and  effective  friend  of  civil  liberty,  he 
makes  the  city  of  his  adoption  the  nursery  of  a  pure,  noble 
civilization;  and  the  little  republic  of  Geneva  becomes  the 
sun  of  the  European  world.  Animated  by  his  example  and 
principles,  William,  prince  of  Orange,  in  1580,  establishes 
the  Dutch  Republic  in  Holland,  and  it  becomes  "the  first 
free  nation  to  put  a  girdle  of  empire  around  the  world." 

Bancroft,  the  historian,  in  summarizing  the  influences 
that  contributed  to  American  Independence  makes  this 
creditable  reference  to  Calvinism. 

"We  are  proud  of  the  free  states  that  fringe  the  At- 
lantic. The  Pilgrims  of  Plymouth  were  Calvinists,  the  best 
influences  in  South  Carolina  came  from  the  Calvinists  of 
France.  William  Penn  was  a  disciple  of  the  Huguenots; 
the  ships  from  Holland,  that  in  1614  brought  the  first  col- 
onists to  Manhattan  (New  York),  were  filled  with  Calvin- 
ists. He  that  will  not  honor  the  memory  and  respect  the 
influence  of  Calvin,  knows  but  little  of  the  origin  of  Amer- 
ican Liberty." 

WILLIAM  TYNDALE 

In  1530  Henry  VIII  aided  by  William  Tyndale,  the  new 

translator  of  the  New  Testament  and  Pentateuch,  and  in 

1547  Edward  VI,  his  successor,  promote  the  establishment 

of  the  Reformation  in  England.    A  change  of  rulers  in  1553 

leads  to  the  martyrdom  of  Archbishop  Cranmer,  bishops, 


UPLITING  INLUENCES  75 

Latimer  and  Ridley,  and  of  John  Holers,  the  zealous  re- 
former— four  of  the  noblest  men  England  ever  produced. 

It  was  the  noble-hearted,  youthful  Tyndale  who,  when 
he  came  to  perceive  that  the  Word  of  God  was  the  gift  of 
God  to  all  mankind  and  all  had  a  right  to  read  it,  that  de- 
clared to  one  of  the  clergy  opposing  him,  "If  God  spares  my 
life,  ere  many  years,  I  will  cause  a  boy  that  driveth  the  plow 
to  know  more  of  the  Scriptures  than  you  do." 

JOHN  KNOX 

In  1560,  John  Knox,  a  pupil  of  Calvin,  establishes  the 

0 

Reformation  in  Scotland  and  under  his  leadership  the  church 
of  Scotland  from  the  first  adopts  the  system  of  doctrines 
and  the  forms  of  worship  and  of  government  established 
at  Geneva. 

HUGUENOTS  OF  FRANCE 

In  1557,  Admiral  Coligny,  taken  prisoner  at  the 
battle  of  St.  Quentin,  is  confined  at  Gaud  in  Spain.  Secur- 
ing a  copy  of  the  Scriptures  he  reads  it,  and,  after  his  re- 
lease, becomes  the  enthusiastic  leader  of  the  Hu  gue  nots 
of  France.  They  represent  the  most  moral,  industrious  and 
intelligent  of  the  French  people,  but  those  who  love  the 
"Mass",  which  involves  no  moral  obligation,  hate  them  on 
account  of  their  chaste  and  devout  lives.  In  1572,  when  a 
bloody  persecution  arises  against  them,  they  begin  to  emi- 
grate to  England,  Germany,  Netherlands,  Switzerland  and 
the  Colonies  of  North  America. 

It  was  Fenelon,  one  of  the  preachers  of  the  Huguenots 
in  France  under  the  feudal  system,  about  the  year  1710, 
that  gave  utterance  to  the  patriotic  sentiment,  emphasized 
in  this  country  since  the  rise  of  the  great  trusts,  "That  gov- 
ernments exist  and  have  a  right  to  exist,  only  for  the  good 


76  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

of  the  people,  and  that  the  many  are  not  made  for  the  use 
and  enjoyment  of  one." 

THE  BIBLE 

In  1559  the  Puritans  protest  against  the  act  of  uni- 
formity passed  by  the  English  Parliament,  imposing  uni- 
formity in  religious  worship. 

The  Bible  has  now  come  to  be  regarded  as  of  so  much 
importance  to  the  clergy  and  people,  that  as  many  as  fifty- 
five  learned  men  during  this  16th  century  devote  their 
time  and  attention  to  its  exposition  and  illustration;  and 
twenty-seven  new  universities  are  established. 

The  Reformation  is  an  insurrection  or  revolution  against 
ecclesiastical  monarchy  and  absolute  power  in  the  church, 
or  spiritual  matters.  It  establishes  freedom  of  inquiry  and 
liberty  of  mind  in  Europe.  The  Bible  and  theology  oc- 
cupy the  attention  of  the  greatest  minds,  and  every  ques- 
tion, whether  philosophical,  political  or  historical  is  consid- 
ered from  the  religious  point  of  view. 

THE  INQUISITION 

In  1235,  Pope  Gregory  IX,  establishes  the  Inquisition, 
a  cruel  court  of  inquiry  for  the  suppression  of  those  who 
question  the  authority  of  the  papacy  to  rule  over  them  in 
the  church.  It  becomes  very  active  in  Italy,  France,  Spain, 
Portugal  and  Ireland.  It  is  not  suppressed  in  France  until 
1834,  after  a  period  of  six  centuries. 

In  1540,  Ignatius  Loy  o  la,  an  illiterate  Spanish  sold- 
ier and  priest,  with  papal  authority,  organizes  the  society 
of  the  Jesuits,  to  require  christians  to  renounce  whatever 
opinions  may  separate  them,  and,  accepting  the  doctrines 
and  worship  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church  to  acknowledge 
the  pope  as  Christ's  sole  vicegerent  on  earth. 


UPLIFTING  INFLUENCES  77 

The  Inquisition  had  previously  proved  a  bloody  court 
but  this  order  is  intended  to  make  it  more  effective  in  sup- 
pressing freedom  of  thought  and  action  in  matters  relat- 
ing to  education  and  religion. 

The  events  that  occur  during  the  period  of  the  Inquisi- 
tion are  harrowing  to  relate.  The  historians  of  that  period 
have  recorded,  among  others,  the  following  executions  and 
massacres. 

The  duke  of  Alva,  a  Spanish  general  and  persecutor 
who  died  in  1582,  condemned  36,000  of  his  countrymen  to 
be  executed. 

On  the  night  of  August  24,  1572,  the  anniversary  of  St. 
Bartholomew,  Charles  IX,  of  France,  by  offering  his  sister 
in  marriage  to  the  prince  of  Navarre,  a  Huguenot,  as- 
sembles at  the  nuptials  in  Paris  five  hundred  of  the  most 
prominent  of  the  Huguenots,  including  Admiral  Coligny, 
their  venerable  leader,  and,  at  a  given  signal  an  unparalleled 
scene  of  horror  ensues.  Before  the  break  of  day,  these 
noble  leaders  and  10,000  of  their  faithful  followers,  in  Paris 
that  night,  are  ruthlessly  slaughtered.  The  horrid  carnage, 
against  these  defenceless  friends  of  truth  and  right,  is  ex- 
tended to  Lyons,  Orleans,  Rouen  and  other  cities  until 
50,000  are  massacred  at  this  particular  time.  The  total  loss 
of  France  by  the  Inquisition  has  been  estimated  at  100,000 
persons. 

It  is  estimated  that,  during  a  period  of  seven  years 
Pope  Julius  II  effected  the  massacre  of  200,000  persons. 
The  Irish  massacre  at  Ulster  in  1641  cost  Ireland  the  loss 
of  more  than  100,000  of  her  best  citizenship.  It  is  estimated 
that  during  a  period  of  thirty  years  as  many  as  900,000 
persons  suffered  martyrdom  for  the  truth  at  the  hands  of 
the  secret  order  of  Jesuits.     During  the  entire  period  of 


78  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

persecution  by  the  papacy,  a  vast  multitude,  numbering 
many  millions  in  addition  to  these,  were  proscribed,  ban- 
ished, starved,  suffocated,  drowned,  imprisoned  for  life, 
buried  alive,  burned  at  the  stake  or  assassinated.* 

These  dark  historic  events  illustrate  the  price  that 
had  to  be  paid  for  letting  the  light  shine  when  darkness 
prevailed  in  the  high  places  of  the  world.  Every  martyr  for 
the  truth  was  a  torch  bearer,  whose  light  was  extinguished. 
The  countries  that  suffered  the  greatest  loss  of  their  best 
citizenship  received  a  check  of  more  than  a  century's 
growth.  The  hand  on  the  dial  of  progress  was  turned 
backward  wherever  the  blighting  inquisition  was  felt.  Its 
blighting  effects  may  yet  be  seen  in  Italy,  Spain,  Portugal, 
Ireland  and  other  countries  where  the  papacy  exerts  a  con- 
trolling influence.  Men,  whose  deeds  are  evil  and  they  are 
unwilling  to  repent,  hate  the  light  and  endeavor  to  sup- 
press it,  by  killing  the  torch  bearer,  "lest  their  deeds  should 
be  reproved." 

A  knowledge  of  these  conditions  that  prevailed  at  the 
time  is  necessary  to  enable  one  to  appreciate  the  import- 
ance and  greatness  of  the  work  of  the  Reformers  and  their 
faithful  followers  during  the  16th  century  in  giving  the 
Bible  to  the  people  at  the  risk  of  their  lives. 
INDEPENDENT  OWNERSHIP  OF  LAND 

In  1620  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  bringing  with  them  the 

Bible  as  a  precious  treasure,  establish  a  colony  at  Plym- 
outh Rock,  Massachusetts,  where  they  hope  to  enjoy  civil 
and  religious  liberty  to  a  fuller  extent  than  they  were  able 
to  do  elsewhere.  Other  colonies  are  established  along  the 
Atlantic  coast,  from  New  England  to  Georgia,  but  no  one 
of  them  exerts  a  moral  influence,  quite  so  potent  as  this  one, 

*See  Cottage  Bible  on  Revelation  XVII  6. 


UPLIFTING  INFLUENCES  79 

in  the  events  and  councils  that  precede  the  laying  of  the 
foundations  for  this  great  government. 

They  now  enjoy  individual  or  independent  ownership 
of  lands,  a  privilege  they  did  not  enjoy  under  the  feudal 
system  that  had  its  rise  in  the  10th  century  and  was  con- 
tinued until  the  French  Revolution  in  1799.  Under  the  feudal 
system  the  land  was  owned  by  dukes,  earls  and  barons,  who, 
as  members  of  the  House  of  Lords,  alone  participated  in 
the  government. 

The  orators  of  the  pulpit,  commonly  called  preachers 
of  the  gospel,  aside  from  the  academies,  colleges  and  uni- 
versities, are  the  principal  teachers  of  the  people,  and  for 
the  purpose  of  instruction,  they  use  but  one  book — the 
Bible. 

In  1635  other  colonies  of  Puritans,  under  Roger  Wil- 
liams and  Thomas  Hooker  settle  Rhode  Island  and  Connec- 
ticut, respectively;  and  religious  liberty  is  accorded  Rhode 
Island  by  its  charter  in  1663. 

WESTMINSTER  ASSEMBLY 

In  1648,  the  Westminster  Assembly,  convened  by  the 
Long  Parliament  five  years  previous,  and  composed  of  10 
Lords,  20  Commoners  and  121  Clergymen,  representing  the 
churches  in  England,  Scotland  and  Ireland,  to  prepare  a 
statement  of  the  doctrines  of  the  Bible,  that  might  form  the 
basis  of  religious  liberty  and  a  bond  of  union  of  the  Prot- 
estant churches,  completes  its  work,  by  publishing  a  Confes- 
sion of  Faith,  Form  of  Government,  Larger  and  Shorter 
Catechisms.  This  confession  does  not  give  rise  to  any 
new  denominations  nor  result  in  any  union;  but  it  is  re- 
ceived and  adopted  as  the  standard  of  faith  by  all  the 
branches  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  England,  Scotland, 


80  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Ireland  and  America.    This  confession  is  a  natural  sequence 
of  the  authorized  King  James  Version  of  the  Bible  in  1611. 
In  1704,  the  newspaper  is  established  in  America;  and 
the  first  postoffice,  in  1710. 

RISE  OF  METHODISM 

In  1738  John  and  Charles  Wesley,  young  preachers  of 
the  Church  of  England,  having  spent  three  years  as  mis- 
sionaries among  the  Moravians  in  Georgia,  return  to  Lon- 
don, where,  preaching  the  gospel  as  a  proclamation  of  free 
forgiveness  to  sinners,  and  with  it,  repentance  and  faith 
in  Christ,  they  soon  find  the  pulpits  of  that  city  closed 
against  them.  Supported  by  Lady  Huntington  and  aided  at 
the  first  by  George  Whitefield,  the  most  gifted  of  their 
early  associates  and  the  first  Methodist  to  preach  in  the 
open  air,  they  lay  the  foundations  that  soon  develop  into 
the  Methodist  church,  by  establishing  new  congregations 
and  organizing  them  into  classes,  each  under  a  local  leader, 
who  by  means  of  weekly  testimonies,  exhortations  and  cor- 
rections was  to  look  after  the  moral  conduct  and  promote 
the  spiritual  life  of  the  members. 

SUNDAY  SCHOOLS  AND  MISSIONARY  SOCIETIES 

In  1782  when  there  are  a  sufficient  number  of  printed 
Bibles  available  for  use,  Robert  Raikes  of  London  makes 
the  suggestion  and  Sunday  schools  are  established,  that 
the  people  in  every  worshipping  congregation  may  co-op- 
erate with  their  preachers  in  instructing  the  young  and 
rising  generation  in  the  great  truths  contained  in  the  Bible. 

From  1792  to  1800,  the  three  great  modern  missionary 
societies  of  England  are  organized,  and  during  the  next 
ten  years  the  first  two  are  organized  in  this  country. 

In  1804,  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  and  in 


UPLIFTING  INFLUENCES  81 

1816,  the  American  Bible  Society,  are  established  in  Lon- 
don and  New  York,  to  promote  the  multiplication  and  cir- 
culation of  the  Bible. 

CIVIL  AND  RELIGIOUS  LIBERTY 

In  1776  the  Declaration  of  Independence  and  Ameri- 
can Revolution  develop  brave  and  patriotic  leaders  like 
George  Washington ,  Thomas  Jefferson,  Samuel  Adams, 
John  Adams,  Benjamin  Franklin,  Patrick  Henry,  John 
Witherspoon  and  others,  who  fight  the  battles  and  solve  the 
problems  of  civil  and  religious  liberty  in  America.  Liberty 
and  independence  become  familiar  watchwords. 

In  1787  when  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States 
is  adopted,  civil  and  religious  liberty  is  assured.  Protec- 
tion is  to  be  given  to  religion  but  there  shall  be  no  taxation 
for  its  support  in  church  or  school,  and  public  education  is 
left  to  the  several  states. 

Those,  who  framed  this  remarkable  Constitution  and 
thus  prepared  the  way  for  America  to  become  the  land  of 
"Liberty  Enlightening  the  World,"  expressed  their  senti- 
ments in  regard  to  the  urgent  need  of  general  instruction  in 
the  Bible,  in  the  ordinance  for  the  government  of  the  North- 
west— the  country  north  of  the  Ohio,  as  follows :  "Religion, 
morality  and  knowledge,  being  necessary  to  good  govern- 
ment and  the  happiness  of  mankind,  schools  and  the  means 
of  education  shall  forever  be  encouraged." 

In  1841  Congress  makes  provision  for  grants  of  unoc- 
cupied lands  in  the  states  for  the  better  support  of  the 
public  schools  and  the  establishment  of  state  universities. 

In  1862  Congress  makes  provision  by  further  grants  of 
unoccupied  lands  for  the  establishment  of  State  Agricultu- 


82  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

ral  Colleges.  About  this  same  period  Normal  Schools  are 
established  in  the  states  and  they  gradually  take  the  place 
of  many  of  the  Academies  previously  established  by  Christ- 
ian people. 

In  1863  Abraham  Lincoln  in  order  to  maintain  the  Un- 
ion "one  and  inseparable,"  becomes  the  emancipator  of  4,- 
000,000  slaves ;  and  America  becomes  "the  land  of  the  free" 
as  well  as  "the  home  of  the  brave." 

The  Boston  News  Letter,  the  first  American  newspap- 
er is  established  in  1704,  and  the  New  England  Courant,  the 
second  one  in  1720.  The  first  Colonial  post  office  is  estab- 
lished in  1710.  In  1765,  when  the  Stamp  Act  was  passed, 
there  are  forty  newspapers  published  in  America;  and  one 
of  the  most  influential  of  these  is  the  Philadelphia  Gazette, 
by  Benjamin  Franklin,  the  man  who  "wrested  the  lightning 
from  heaven  and  scepters  from  tyrants." 

The  religious  papers  of  the  Presbyterian  church  are  es- 
tablished a  half  century  later,  and  as  follows:  The  Her- 
ald and  Presbyter,  at  Cincinnati  in  1830;  the  Presbyterian 
at  Philadelphia  in  1831 ;  and  the  Interior,  now  Continent,  at 
Chicago  in  1870.  As  a  civilizing  agency  the  press  not  only 
rivals  but  increases  many  fold  the  power  of  the  pulpit. 

The  public  press,  especially  the  religious  newspaper, 
noting  the  progress  of  events  relating  to  the  extension  of 
the  Redeemer's  Kingdom  becomes  a  very  potent  factor  in 
promoting  an  enlightened  Christian  civilization. 

UPLIFTING  INVENTIONS 
During  the  19th  century  civilization  receives  a  general 
and  wonderful  uplift  as  a  result  of  many  important  inven- 
tions, that,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  are  enjoyed  by  all  the 
people.     They  include  the  steam  engine,  steamer,  railway, 


UPLIFTING  INFLUENCES  83 

telegraph,  telephone,  phonograph,  cylinder  printing  press 
and  folder,  electric  light  and  motor,  gasoline  and  kerosene 
engines,  cotton  gin,  spinning  jenny,  sewing  machine,  mower, 
reaper,  steam  thresher  and  separator,  mammoth  corn  shelt- 
er, tractor,  gang  plow,  typewriter,  automobile,  bicycle,  aero- 
plane, vaccine,  serum  and  wireless  telegraph. 

THE  COMPARISON. 

The  intelligent  American  citizen  of  the  present  time 
is  the  product  of  all  these  forces,  to  the  extent  he  has  come 
under  their  uplifting  influences.  He  is  the  product  of  cen- 
turies of  enlightened  struggle  and  successful  effort.  If  the 
early  Roman  was  proud  of  his  history  and  privileges  as  a  cit- 
zen  much  more  profoundly  thankful  may  be  the  American  of 
this  twentieth  century. 

The  forces  that  have  given  him  the  uplift  from  the  Dark 
Ages  include  the  Bible  in  his  own  language,  the  faithful 
preacher  of  the  Gospel,  the  Evangelical  Reformer,  the  brave 
Military  Leader,  the  God-fearing  Statesman,  the  Church, 
Sunday  school,  the  public,  high  and  Normal  school,  the  Aca- 
demy, Christian  College,  Agricultural  College,  University, 
ownership  of  land,  civil  and  religious  liberty. 

What  these  institutions  have  done  for  the  intelligent 
American  citizen  they  are  now  beginning  to  do  for  the 
Freedman,  as  he  is  brought  under  their  uplifting  influence. 
They  suggest  both  to  him  and  his  friends,  the  greatest  or 
most  important  needs  of  the  Freedmen. 


VIII 

THE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH. 

IT  EMPHASIZES  THE  BIBLE  AS  FUNDAMENTAL  IN  EDUCA- 
TION.—A  ZEALOUS  MISSIONARY  ORGANIZATION.— AS 
CATHOLIC  IN   SPIRIT  AS  THE   GOSPEL. 

"Walk  about  Zion,  tell  the  towers  thereof ;  mark  ye  well 
her  bulwarks,  that  ye  may  tell  it  to  the  generation  follow- 
ing."— David. 

l^^^^^/f^HE  Presbyterian  Church  has  always  stood 

W  for  Religion  and  Education — Religion  as  the 

1       Mil  basis  of  true  education,  and  Education  as 

the  promoter  of  positive  practical  religion. 

CHRISTIAN  LEADERS. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  wishes  to  see  the  young  peo- 
ple of  every  generation  provided  with  the  best  means  for 
their  intellectual  and  spiritual  progress.  It  wishes  to  see 
them  prepared,  not  merely  for  active  and  successful  partici- 
pation in  the  onward  work  of  the  world,  but  also  in  full  and 
hearty  sympathy  with  the  great  work  of  Christ  and  his  peo- 
ple, for  the  spiritual  salvation  of  the  nations.  It  knows  there 
is  no  good  reason,  why  a  stirring  leader  of  men  should  not 
be  a  Christian ;  nor  why  a  Christian  should  not  be  eminently 
successful,  in  taking  his  place  among  men  as  a  forceful  fac- 
tor in  the  life  of  the  world. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  believes  in  the  system  of 
state  schools  from  the  primary,  public  and  high  schools,  to 
the  University.     These  schools  provide  for  general  educa- 


THE  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH  85 

tion.  Millions  of  children  would  never  be  in  school,  were 
it  not  for  these  state  provisions  and  for  compulsory  public 
education.  These  schools  are  however  not  all  perfect, 
since  they  do  not  provide  for  moral  and  religious  training, 
the  great  underlying  principles  of  reverence  and  righteous- 
ness, that  must  enter  into  every  life  in  order  to  fit  it  for 
the  performance  of  christian  and  patriotic  duty. 

The  Presbyterian  church  takes  a  patriotic  interest  in 
our  whole  public  school  system,  and  believes  that  all  the 
children  should  be  trained  in  those  that  are  under  public 
direction,  so  that  all  the  children  and  youth  of  the  nation 
shall  be  a  united,  intelligent  and  patriotic  body,  fitted  for 
good  citizenship. 

At  the  same  time  it  believes  in  special  church  institu- 
tions of  higher  learning,  that  shall  be  adapted  to  train  our 
young  people  for  intelligent  leadership  in  the  church,  and 
enable  them  to  become  doubly  useful  in  the  home,  social 
circle  and  in  public  life.  Our  christian  academies  and  col- 
leges are  valuable  institutions.  These  furnish  to  the  church 
and  the  world  the  greatest  number  of  ministers,  mission- 
aries, college  presidents  and  christian  statesmen.  Parents 
everywhere,  find  these  christian  institutions  furnish  the  best 
advantages,  and  that  they  are  the  safest  and  most  economi- 
cal. No  institutions  furnish  higher  or  more  profitable  cul- 
ture. They  combine  all  that  is  best  in  real  culture  and  edu- 
cation of  the  intelligent  faculties,  with  a  true  religious  con- 
ception of  life ;  so  that  all  who  yield  to  their  best  influences 
go  forth  from  them  pure-hearted,  stronger  and  better  pre- 
pared to  engage  in  life's  duties  successfully;  for  they  take 
with  them  the  personal  assurance  of  the  gracious  presence 
and  abiding  blessing  of  our  Father  in  Heaven. 


86  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

In  a  christian  educational  institution,  the  spirit  of  the 
instructor  is  one  that  regards  the  student,  as  of  more  value 
than  the  subject  taught.  Its  aim  including  the  christian 
college,  is  not  research,  the  work  of  a  university,  but  to  make 
men.  The  ordinary  branches  that  are  taught  are  regarded 
as  instrumentalities,  for  making  a  well  trained  man  of  the 
student. 

The  key  to  success  in  the  battle  of  life,  is  found  in  the 
struggle,  which  insures  control  of  one's  self.  This  is  the 
secret  of  a  good  education.  In  an  important  sense,  all  edu- 
cation must  be  self -education.  Professor  Huxley  gave  good 
emphasis  to  this  thought  when  he  wrote:  "Perhaps  the 
most  valuable  result  of  all  education,  is  the  ability  to  make 
yourself  do  the  thing  you  have  to  do,  when  it  ought  to  be 
done,  whether  you  like  it  or  not ;  it  is  the  first  lesson  which 
ought  to  be  learned,  and,  however  early  a  man's  training  be- 
gins, it  is  probably  the  last  lesson  he  learns  thoroughly." 
An  eminent  educator  used  to  say  to  his  class :  "He,  who  will 
become  a  scholar,  must  learn  to  command  his  faculties." 

The  Presbyterian  church  honors  God  and  exalts  him 
to  the  throne  of  absolute  supremacy  over  all  his  creatures. 
It  honors  Him  by  using  the  instrumentalities  he  has  ap- 
pointed. It  receives  the  Bible,  as  the  very  word  of  God, 
and  adopts  it  as  the  only  rule  of  faith  and  practice. 

The  Presbyterian  church  from  the  beginning  has  been 
a  zealous  missionary  organization.  At  the  meeting  of  the 
First  General  Assembly  arrangements  were  made  to  send 
the  gospel  to  "the  regions  beyond," — the  frontiers  and  the 
various  tribes  of  American  Indians.  The  agencies,  then 
organized  as  committees,  have  become  the  great  Boards  of 
Home  and  Foreign  Missions,  that  now  receive  and  dis- 
tribute, each,  more  than  a  million  dollars  annually. 


THE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  87 

A  ZEALOUS  MISSIONARY  ORGANIZATION. 

It  is  gratifying  to  know  that  the  colored  people,  al- 
though emotional  and  demonstrative,  have  nevertheless 
an  intelligent  appreciation  of  the  views  and  methods  of  the 
Presbyterian  church. 

A  prominent  minister  of  a  southern  church  is  quoted 
as  having  said:  "The  Presbyterian  church  can  do  for  the 
colored  people  of  the  south  what  no  other  church  can  do." 

FABLE  OF  PERSIAN  TENT. 

There  is  a  Persian  fable  that  tells  of  a  young  prince  who 
brought  to  his  father  a  nutshell,  which,  when  opened  with 
a  spring,  contained  a  little  tent  of  such  ingenious  construc- 
tion, that  when  spread  in  the  nursery  the  children  could 
play  under  its  folds, ;  when  opened  in  the  council  chamber 
the  King  and  his  counsellors  could  sit  beneath  its  canopy; 
when  placed  in  the  court  yard  the  family  and  all  the  servants 
could  gather  under  its  shade;  when  pitched  upon  the  plain, 
where  the  soldiers  were  encamped,  the  entire  army  could 
gather  within  its  enclosure.  It  possessed  the  qualities  of 
boundless  adaptability  and  expansiveness. 

This  little  tent  is  a  good  symbol  of  our  Presbyterian 
system.  It  is  all  contained  within  the  nutshell  of  the  Gos- 
pel. Open  it  in  the  nursery,  and  beneath  its  folds  parents 
and  children  sit  with  delight;  spread  it  in  the  court  yard, 
and  beneath  its  shadow  the  whole  household  assembles  for 
morning  and  evening  worship;  open  it  in  the  village  and  it 
becomes  a  church,  under  whose  canopy  the  whole  town  may 
worship.  Open  it  upon  the  plain,  and  a  great  sacramental 
army  gathers  under  it.  Send  it  to  the  heathen  world,  and 
it  becomes  a  great  pavilion,  that  fills  and  covers  the  earth. 


88  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

The  Presbyterian  church  is  as  Catholic  as  the  Gospel 
in  its  spirit  of  brotherly  love,  and  readiness  to  co-operate 
with  all  who  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  It  recognizes  the 
ordination  of  the  Episcopalian  and  the  baptism  of  the  Bap- 
tist. It  joins  cordially  with  those  who  would  place  the  crown 
upon  the  brow  of  Jesus  by  singing  only  the  Psalms  of  David, 
and  responds  with  an  approving  echo  to  the  hearty  "Amen" 
of  the  Methodists.  It  is  capable  of  an  expansion,  that  will 
include  all  shades  of  our  common  humanity,  and  is  work- 
ing valiantly  to  usher  in  the  day,  when  the  prayer  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  shall  be  fulfilled:  "That  they  may  be  one;  as 
Thou,  Father  art  in  me,  and  I  in  Thee,  that  they  also  may  be 
one  in  us;  that  the  world  may  believe  that  Thou  hast  sent 
me." 

"The  Presbyterian  church  stands,"  says  Rev.  W.  H. 
Roberts,  D.  D.,  "as  it  has  stood  during  its  entire  history,  for 
the  unconditional  sovereignty  of  God,  for  the  Bible  as  the 
only  infallible  rule  of  faith  and  life,  for  simplicity  of  wor- 
ship, representative  government,  a  high  standard  of  christ- 
ian living,  liberty  of  conscience,  popular  education,  mission- 
ary activity  and  true  Christian  Catholicity." 

President  Benjamin  Harrison  said  of  it:  "The  Presby- 
terian church  has  been  steadfast  for  liberty,  and  it  has  kept 
steadfast  for  education.  It  has  stood  as  stiff  as  a  steel  beam 
for  the  faith  delivered  to  our  fathers,  and  it  still  stands  with 
steadfastness  for  that  essential  doctrine — the  inspired 
Word.  It  is  not  an  illiberal  church.  There  is  no  body  of 
Christians  in  the  world,  that  opens  its  arms  wider  to  all  who 
love  the  Master.  Though  it  has  made  no  boast  or  shout, 
it  has  yet  been  an  aggressive  missionary  church  from  the 
beginning." 

LINCOLN   UNIVERSITY. 

Lincoln  University  in  Chester  county,  Pennsylvania, 
was  established  in  1854  under  the  leadership  of  Rev.  John 
M.  Dickey,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Ox- 
ford, for  the  classical  and  theological  education  of  negroes. 


THE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  89 

The  extent  and  thoroughness  of  the  courses  of  instruction 
at  this  institution  have  been  amply  justified  by  the  success 
of  its  graduates ;  many  in  the  ministry,  and  others,  in  found- 
ing similar  institutions  of  a  high  grade  in  the  south,  as  at 
Columbia,  S.  C,  Salisbury,  N.  C,  Holly  Springs,  Miss.,  and 
a  number  of  other  places.  Its  aim  is  to  furnish  trained  pro- 
fessional leaders,  and  it  is  accomplishing  this  object  in  splen- 
did form.  Established  before  the  Freedmen's  Board,  it 
has  continued  to  be  maintained  without  its  aid. 


IX 


THE  PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF 
SIONS  FOR  FREEDMEN. 


MIS- 


ORGANIZED  IN  1865.— WOMEN  ENLISTED  IN  1884.— BOARDING 
SCHOOLS.— TPAINS  CHRISTIAN  LEADERS.— WORTHY  OF 
GENEROUS  SUPPORT  AND  ENDOWMENT. 

"The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me,  because  he  hath  ap- 
pointed me  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  poor;  he  hath  sent 
me  to  heal  the  broken-hearted  and  preach  deliverance  to  the 
captives." — Luke. 

liiJ^^^/fJSE  emancipation  of  4,000,000  slaves,  at  the 
^  close  of  the  Civil  War,  was  the  sudden  op- 
ening of  a  new  and  a  vast  field  of  oppor- 
tunity and  duty,  before  the  Christian 
churches  of  this  land. 
The  education  and  moral  elevation  of  the  Freedmen  be- 
came in  both  church  and  state,  a  very  serious  and  vital 
question.  Ever  since  the  foundation  of  the  government, 
the  church,  through  the  voluntary  establishment  of  acad- 
emies and  colleges,  has  been  co-operating  with  the  civil 
government,  in  the  effort  to  develop  in  all  parts  of  our  land 
an  intelligent  christian  citizenship. 

The  Presbyterian  Board  of  Missions  for  Freedmen  was 
organized  as  a  committee  in  1865,  the  last  year  of  the  Civil 
War.  In  1882  this  committee  was  made  and  incorporated 
as  a  Board.  Its  work  then  assumed  a  more  permanent 
form  and  the  contributions  to  its  work  began  to  be  greatly 
increased.    The  contributions  received  that  year  were  $68,- 


THE  LATE  MRS.  V.  P.  BOGGS 
Secretary  Women's  Department,  Freedmen's  Board 


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PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  FOR  FREEDMEN   91 

268.08.  In  1913  the  amount  received  to  be  applied  to  this 
work  was  $323,899.29.  The  amount  of  property  held  by  it 
and  used  for  educational  and  church  purposes  is  $1,831,- 

610.09.  The  office  of  the  board  is  at  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylva- 
nia. 

WOMEN  ENLISTED  IN  1884 

In  1884  the  interest  of  the  women  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  was  enlisted  in  behalf  of  the  women  and  girls  among 
the  Freedmen.  The  progress  of  the  work  of  the  Women's 
Missionary  societies,  in  establishing  and  maintaining  edu- 
cational institutions,  is  worthy  of  special  mention. 

During  their  first  year  they  contributed  $3,010;  the 
second,  $7,966 ;  the  third,  $17,075 ;  and  in  1913,  $85,236.09. 

In  raising  this  last  amount  675  Sunday  schools  and 
1082  Young  People's  societies  co-operated  with  3591  Wo- 
men's societies. 

To  the  women,  almost  entirely,  is  due  the  establish- 
ment and  maintenance  of  most  of  the  boarding  schools  now 
supported  by  the  board.  The  names  of  some  of  the  most 
consecrated  workers  and  liberal  contributors  have  been 
commemorated  in  the  names  of  most  of  these  institutions. 
That  this  fact  may  be  noted  and  as  a  matter  of  general  in- 
formation, the  following  list  of  twenty-four  of  them  is 
given. 

LIST  OF  BOARDING  SCHOOLS 
I.    FOR  MALES  ONLY 

Biddle  University,  Charlotte,  North  Carolina. 
Harbison  Agricultural  College,  Irmo,  South  Carolina. 

II.     SEMINARIES  FOR  GIRLS  ONLY 

Scotia,  Concord  N.  C. 
Mary  Allen,  Crockett,  Texas. 
Ingleside,  Burkeville,  Va. 
Mary  Holmes,  West  Point,  Miss. 
Barber  Memorial,  Anniston,  Ala. 


92  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

III.     CO-EDUCATIONAL 

Allendale  Academy,  Allendale,  S.  C. 
Albion  Academy,  Franklinton,  N.  C. 
Alice  Lee  Elliott  Memorial,  Valliant,  Okla. 
Arkadelphia  Academy,  Arkadelphia,  Ark. 
Boggs  Academy,  Keyesville,  Ga. 
Brainard  Institute,  Chester,  S.  C. 
Emerson  Industrial  Institute,  Blackville,  S.  C. 
Fee  Memorial  Institute,  Nelson,  Ky. 
Gillespie  Normal,  Cordele,  Ga. 
Haines  Industrial,  Augusta,  Ga. 
Kendall  Institute,  Sumpter,  S.  C. 
Mary  Potter  Memorial,  Oxford,  N.  C. 
Monticello  Academy,  Monticello,  Ark. 
Cotton  Plant  Academy,  Cotton  Plant,  Ark. 
Coulter  Memorial  Academy,  Cheraw,  N.  C. 
Redstone  Academy,  Lumberton,  N.  C. 
Swift  Memorial  College,  Rogersville,  Tenn. 

In  addition  to  those  in  these  boarding  schools,  112 
teachers  are  employed  in  the  maintenance  of  this  same 
number  of  day  schools. 

In  his  last  annual  report,  April  1,  1913,  Rev.  E.  P. 
Cowan,  D.  D.,  secretary  of  the  Board  submitted  the  follow- 
ing interesting  summary  of  its  work. 

"The  Freedmen's  Board  has  ever  kept  in  mind  the  one 
great  fact  that  its  work  is,  first,  last  and  all  the  time,  mis- 
sionary work.  We  have  aimed  from  the  very  beginning  to 
follow  a  course  that  would  commend  itself  to  every  man's 
conscience  in  the  sight  of  God.  We  have  always  sought  the 
counsel  and  advice  of  good  men  on  the  field,  at  times  nearer 
our  work  than  ourselves,  and  better  able  to  judge  of  its  con- 
dition. We  have  endeavored  to  exert  such  an  influence  over 
the  people  among  whom  we  have  labored,  so  that  no  one 
could  object  to  it  except  he  were  a  heathen  or  an  infidel.  As 
a  consequence,  all  the  opposition  we  have  met  with  in  all 
these  years  has  been  as  nothing,  compared  with  the  sym- 
pathy and  encouragement  we  have  received  from  good  men. 

"We  have  this  year  issued  our  forty-eighth  annual  re- 
port. This  annual  report  shows  that  we  have  now  in  con- 
nection with  our  church,  four  colored  Synods,  composed  of 
sixteen  colored  Presbyteries,  in  which  there  are  four  hun- 
dred and  four  church  organizations,  with  twenty-six  thous- 


PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  FOR  FREEDMEN       93 

and,  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  communicants,  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty-nine  ordained  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  and 
thirteen  hundred  and  seventeen  ruling  elders. 

"Within  these  Presbyteries,  there  are  one  hundred  and 
thirty-six  schools,  and  in  these  schools  there  are  16,427 
pupils,  taught  by  448  teachers,  all  of  whom  are  professing 
christians,  and  by  a  rule  of  the  Board,  members  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church. 

"In  all  these  schools,  the  Word  of  God  and  the  Shorter 
Catechism  are  regularly  and  daily  taught.  On  the  mind 
and  heart  of  every  living  soul  that  passes  in  and  out  of  our 
schools,  there  is  impressed  the  fundamental  and  far-reach- 
ing truth,  that  the  chief  end  of  man  is  to  glorify  God  and 
to  enjoy  Him  forever,  and  that  the  Word  of  God,  which  is 
contained  in  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments, 
is  the  only  rule  to  direct  us  how  we  may  glorify  and  enjoy 
Him. 

"These  churches  and  schools,  and  ministers  and  teach- 
ers— 588  workers  in  all — are  housed  in  470  buildings,  of 
which  e300  are  church  buildings,  70  are  manses,  and  100  are 
school  buildings.  The  value  of  these  buildings  is  estimated 
at  $1,561,000.  The  cry  comes  up  to  us  without  ceasing  for 
either  more  room,  or  better  accommodations.  Should  we 
answer  these  cries  promptly,  and  without  regard  to  the 
question  as  to  where  the  money  is  to  come  from,  we  should 
be  hopelessly  overwhelmed  with  debt  within  one  year." 

TRAINS  CHRISTIAN  LEADERS 

The  Freedmen  are  naturally  religious  and  hitherto 
their  churches  have  been  their  principal  social  centers. 
Under  uneducated  leadership,  the  only  kind  possible  at 
first,  their  church  life  was  characterized  by  a  loose  moral 
standard,  poor  business  methods  and  boisterous  worship. 
In  many  places  it  still  lacks  a  realization  of  the  real  needs 
of  the  race. 

"The  true  standard  bearers  of  better  things  have  been 
the  relatively  few  ministers  and  churches  that  have  been 
noted  for  their  educated  ministry,  restraint  in  worship, 
rigid  morals  and  careful  supervision." 


94  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

The  wisdom  of  the  policy  of  training  capable  christian 

leaders,  was  emphasized  at  the  last  General  Assembly  at 

Atlanta,  by  Rev.    H.    A.    Johnson,    D.  D.,  in  the  following 

pertinent  paragraph: 

"The  vital  need  of  the  negro  people  is  a  trained  chris- 
tian leadership.  Their  problem  can  never  be  solved  by  ele- 
mentary education  for  the  masses,  or  industrial  training  for 
those  who  enter  the  trades  and  till  the  farm.  They  must 
have  thoroughly  trained  christian  teachers  and  ministers 
of  the  Gospel  and  should  also  have  the  other  professions 
represented  among  their  leaders.  The  men,  who  are  con- 
spicuous leaders  among  the  negroes  in  industrial  training 
are  publicly  saying  that  they  expect  such  organizations  as 
the  Presbyterian  church  to  furnish  the  ministers  and  teach- 
ers for  their  people,  while  they  furnish  the  farmers,  the 
carpenters  and  other  tradesmen.  The  task  of  furnishing 
this  trained  leadership  is  being  bravely  attempted  by  our 
Board  within  the  limitations  of  their  available  resources. 
Every  intelligent  student  of  the  problem  must  realize  how 
supremely  important  is  this  phase  of  the  work." 

WORTHY  OF  GENEROUS  SUPPORT  AND  ENDOW- 
MENT 

The  Board  of  Missions  for  Freedmen  of  the  Presby- 
terian church  merits  the  intelligent  sympathy  and  cordial 
co-operation  not  only  of  our  whole  church  but  of  all  the 
friends  who  favor  christian  education  among  the  dependent 
colored  people  in  the  south  part  of  our  land. 

It  educates  ministers  and  teachers,  and  supports  them 
in  their  work.  It  builds  academies,  seminaries  and  colleges, 
and  aids  in  the  erection  of  churches  and  manses.  Its  24 
boarding  schools,  having  normal  and  industrial  depart- 
ments, are  distributed  so  that  there  is  one  or  more  in  every 
southern  state. 

It  now  owns  and  controls  school,  church  and  manse 
properties  that  represent  a  value  of  one  and  a  half  million 
dollars. 


PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  FOR  FREEDMEN   95 

Its  permanent  investments,  that  bring  an  annual  in- 
come for  the  promotion  of  its  work  however,  are  yet  only 
$200,202.50.  In  these  days  of  big  business,  the  evidence 
of  unusual  prosperity,  it  ought  to  have  an  endowment  of 
one  million  dollars. 

Education  is  the  most  costly  of  all  philanthropic  en- 
terprises. The  following  reason  recently  expressed  for  a 
large  endowment  of  the  College  Board  applies  with  equal 
force  to  the  Freedmen's  Board. 

"A  million  dollar  corporation  is  now  considerably  more 
than  twice  as  efficient,  as  an  instrument  to  accomplish  re- 
sults than  one  of  a  half  million.  In  this  day  of  large  things 
the  men  who  are  interested  in  education,  prefer  to  employ  as 
their  agent,  an  organization  whose  resources  are  large 
enough  to  place  its  permanent  and  financial  stability  beyond 
question.  A  bank  with  a  million  dollars  of  capital  has  consid- 
erable advantage  over  one  having  only  a  quarter  of  a  million. 
The  law,  'To  him  that  hath  shall  be  given/  still  prevails 
among  the  children  of  men." 

The  members  of  the  Freedmen's  Board  have  been  se- 
lected, because  of  their  manifest  interest  in  the  educational 
and  spiritual  welfare  of  the  colored  people;  and  they  are 
conscientiously  striving,  to  the  best  of  their  ability,  to  pro- 
mote the  interests  of  the  Freedmen,  in  behalf  of  the  great 
body  of  generous  hearted  christian  people  whom  they  rep- 
resent. 

The  work  of  the  Freedmen's  Board  has  hitherto  by 
its  charter  been  limited  to  the  Freedmen  in  southern 
states.  At  the  next  General  Assembly,  an  effort  will  be 
made  to  extend  its  work,  so  as  to  include  the  negroes  in  the 
northern  states. 


X 

SPECIAL  BENEFACTORS. 

GEORGE  PEABODY.— JOHN  F.  SLATER.— DANIEL  HAND.— 
EMILINE  CUSHING.  —  ANNA  T.  JEANES.  —  CAROLINE 
PHELPS  STOKES.— JOHN  D.  ROCKEFELLER.— NEGRO 
PHILANTHROPISTS. 

"He  loveth  our  nation  and  hath  built  us  a  synagogue." 

>HE  educational  needs  of  the  Freedman  have 
called  forth  several  large  benefactions  from 
individual  contributors.  George  Peabody 
of  Danvers,  Massachusetts,  in  1867  and 
1869,  established  a  fund  of  $3,500,000  for 
the  promotion  of  general  education  in  the  South.  One  half 
of  this  amount  happened  to  prove  unavailable.  A  large 
part  of  the  remainder  was  used  in  the  establishment  and 
endowment  of  the  Peabody  teachers  college  for  whites  at 
Nashville,  Tennessee,  leaving  only  a  small  part  of  it  for  use 
among  the  Freedmen. 

In  1882,  John  F.  Slater  of  Norwich,  Connecticut,  created 
a  trust  fund  of  $1,000,000,  for  the  purpose  of  uplifting  the 
emancipated  population  of  the  southern  states  and  their 
posterity.  The  income  of  this  fund,  now  increased  to  $1,- 
500,000,  is  used  to  promote  normal  and  industrial  education. 
In  1'888  Daniel  Hand  of  Guilford,  Connecticut,  gave  the 
American  Missionary  Association  of  the  Congregational 
church  $1,000,000,  and  a  residuary  estate  of  $500,000  to  aid 
in  the  education  of  the  Negro. 


SPECIAL  BENEFACTORS  97 

In  1895  Miss  Emiline  Gushing  of  Boston  left  $23,000 
for  the  same  object. 

In  1907  Miss  Anna  T.  Jeanes  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  left 
an  endowment  fund  of  $1,000,000  to  aid  in  maintaining  ele- 
mentary schools  among  the  Freedmen.  Booker  T.  Wash- 
ington was  named  as  one  of  two  trustees  of  this  fund.  Its 
distribution  contemplates  a  three  fold  plan.  First,  some- 
thing additional  is  to  be  secured  from  the  school  authorities. 
Second,  the  co-operative  efforts  of  the  people  are  essential. 
Third,  the  effectiveness  of  the  school  is  improved  and  its 
neighborhood  influence  widened  by  the  introduction  of  in- 
dustrial features.  In  1911,  the  income  from  this  fund  was 
so  widely  distributed  as  to  reach  the  work  in  as  many  as 
111  counties  in  12  different  states;  and  summer  schools 
were  aided  in  six  of  them. 

In  1909  Miss  Caroline  Phelps  Stokes  created  a  fund  of 
$300,000  for  the  erection  of  tenement  houses  in  New  York 
City;  and  the  education  of  negroes  and  Indians,  through 
industrial  schools. 

From  1902  to  1909,  John  D.  Rockefeller  gave  $53,000,- 
000  to  establish  a  fund  for  the  promotion  of  general  educa- 
tion in  the  United  States.  The  schools  of  the  Freedmen 
have  received  from  this  fund  $532,015. 

NEGRO  PHILANTHROPISTS 

The  Freedmen  have  fallen  heir  to  the  estates  of  some 
free  negroes,  that  became  wealthy.  It  is  interesting  to  note 
the  following  ones. 

Tommy  Lafon  of  New  Orleans,  a  dealer  in  dry  goods 
and  real  estate,  in  1893,  left  for  charitable  purposes  among 
his  people,  an  estate  appraised  at  $413,000. 


98 


CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 


Mary  E.  Shaw  of  New  York  City,  left  Tuskeegee  Col- 
ored Institute  $38,000. 

Col.  John  McKee  of  Philadelphia,  at  his  death  in  1902, 
left  about  $1,000,000  worth  of  property  for  education,  in- 
cluding a  provision  for  the  establishment  of  a  college  to 
bear  his  name. 

Anna  Marie  Fisher,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  in  1911,  hav- 
ing an  estate  of  $65,000  left  $26,000  for  educational  insti- 
tutions. 

The  successful  achievement  of  these  four  free  Negroes 
and  their  generous  regard  for  the  welfare  of  their  kin-folks, 
suggest  the  possibilities  of  which  they  are  capable,  as  fin- 
anciers and  philanthropists,  when  circumstances  are  fav- 
orable. 


PART  II 

OAK  HILL  INDUSTRIAL 
ACADEMY 


"It  is  said  that  the  Athenians  erected  a  statue  to  .^sop, 
(564  B.  C),  who  was  born  a  slave;  or  as  Phaedrus  phrases 
it: 

"They  placed  the  slave  upon  an  eternal  pedestal," 

"Sir,  for  what  the  enfranchised  slaves  did  for  the  cause  of 
constitutional  liberty  in  this  country,  the  American  people 
should  imitate  the  Athenians  and,  by  training  the  slave  for 
usefulness,  place  him  upon  an  eternal  pedestal.  Their  con- 
duct has  been  beyond  all  praise. 

"They  have  been  patient  and  docile;  they  have  been  loyal 
to  their  masters,  to  the  country,  and  to  those  with  whom 
they  are  associated;  but,  as  I  said  before,  no  other  people 
ever  endured  patiently  such  injustice  and  wrong.  Despotism 
makes  nihilists;  tyranny  makes  socialists  and  communists; 
and  injustice  is  the  great  manufacturer  of  dynamite.  The 
thief  robs  himself;  the  adulterer  pollutes  himself;  and  the 
murderer  inflicts  a  deeper  wound  upon  himself  than  that 
which  slays  his  victim. 

"If  my  voice  can  reach  this  proscribed  and  unfortunate 
class,  I  appeal  to  them  to  continue,  as  they  have  begun,  to 
endure  to  the  end;  and  thus  to  commend  themselves  to  the 
favorable  judgment  of  mankind;  and  to  rely  for  their  safety 
upon  the  ultimate  appeal  to  the  conscience  of  the  human 
race." -John  J.  Ingalls,  U.  S.  Senate,  1890. 


(100) 


THE  NATIVE  OAK  HILL  SCHOOL 

1876-1886 

CHURCH  ORGANIZED  JUNE  29,  1869.— SUNDAY  SCHOOL  IN 
1876.— SCHOOL  HOUSE,  1878.— OLD  LOG  HOUSE,  1884.— 
APPEAL  FOR  ACADEMY. 

"The  vineyard  which  thy  right  hand  hath  planted." 
"Who  hath  despised  the  day  of  small  things?" 

l^~=3)<f^jf*S  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  and  the  or- 
A      III  ganization  of  a  church  preceded  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  school,  the  following  facts 
in  regard  to  the  church  are  first  noted. 

THE  OAK  HILL  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 
The  Oak  Hill  Presbyterian  church  was  organized  about 
June  29,  1869,  with  six  members,  namely,  Henry  Critten- 
den, who  was  ordained  an  elder,  Teena  Crittenden,  his  wife, 
J.  Ross  Shoals  and  his  wife  Hettie  Shoals,  Emily  Harris  and 
Reindeer  Clark. 

The  services  at  first  were  held  in  the  home  and  later 
in  an  arbor  at  the  home  of  Henry  Crittenden,  one  mile  east 
of  the  present  town  of  Valliant,  and  now  known  as  the  home 
of  James  and  Johnson  Shoals.  After  a  few  years  the  place 
of  meeting  was  transferred  to  an  arbor  about  two  miles 
southwest  of  Crittenden's,  and  two  years  later,  1878,  to  the 
Oak  Hill  schoolhouse,  a  frame  building  erected  that  year 
on  the  main  east  and  west  road  north  of  Red  river.    It  was 

(101) 


102  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

located  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  27,  near  the 
site  on  which  Valliant  was  located  in  1902.  It  is  reported, 
that  Henry  Crittenden  was  the  principal  contributor  to- 
wards the  erection  of  this  building.  His  cash  income  though 
meager  was  greater  than  others  and  he  gave  freely  in  order 
that  a  suitable  place  might  be  provided  both  for  public 
worship  and  a  day  school  for  the  neighborhood. 

Parson  Charles  W.  Stewart  of  Doaksville,  a  representa- 
tive of  the  last  generation  of  those  who  were  slaves  to  the 
Indians,  was  the  minister  in  charge  from  the  time  of  organ- 
ization until  the  spring  of  1893,  when  he  retired  from  the 
ministry.  He  was  succeeded  at  Oak  Hill  by  Rev.  Edward 
G.  Haymaker,  the  superintendent  of  the  academy,  who  con- 
tinued a  period  of  eleven  years.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
R.  E.  Flickinger,  whose  pastorate  of  nearly  eight  years 
was  eventfully  ended  at  the  dedication  of  the  new  colored 
Presbyterian  church  at  Garvin,  on  October  3,  1912.  Rev. 
William  H.  Carroll,  relinquishing  his  work  on  that  same 
day  as  the  first  resident  pastor  of  the  Garvin  church  be- 
came the  immediate  successor  at  Oak  Hill. 

Those  who  served  as  elders  of  the  Oak  Hill  church  and 
are  now  dead  were  Henry  Crittenden,  J.  Ross  Shoals,  Rob- 
ert Hall,  Jack  A.  Thomas  and  Samuel  A.  Folsom.  The  elders 
in  1912  are  James  R.  Crabtree,  Matt  Brown  and  Solomon 
H.  Buchanan. 

In  1912  a  site  for  a  new  chapel,  intended  only  for  the 
uses  of  the  local  congregation,  was  purchased  in  a  suburb 
on  the  west  side  of  Valliant.  The  trustees  chosen  at  this 
time  were  Mitchell  S.  Stewart,  formerly  an  elder,  Matt 
Brown  and  James  R.  Crabtree.  They  were  duly  authorized 
to  incorporate  and  manage  the  erection  of  the  new  church 
building. 


THE  NATIVE  OAK  HILL  SCHOOL  103 

THE  NATIVE  OAK  HILL  SCHOOL 

The  Negroes  who  were  slaves  of  the  Indians,  about  the 
year  1880  were  enrolled  and  adopted  as  citizens,  by  the 
tribes  to  which  they  respectively  belonged,  and  they  then 
became  entitled  to  a  small  part  of  their  public  school  funds. 
The  amount  accorded  the  Choctaw  Freedmen  was  about 
one  dollar  a  year  for  a  pupil  that  was  enrolled  as  attending 
school.  This  made  possible  the  employment  of  a  teacher 
for  a  short  term  of  three  months  in  the  vicinity  of  a  few 
villages,  where  a  large  enrollment  could  be  secured,  but  left 
unsupplied  the  greater  number  living  in  the  sparsely  settled 
neighborhoods. 

Our  Board  of  Missions  for  Freedmen,  ever  since  its  or- 
ganization, has  made  it  the  duty  of  every  negro  minister 
commissioned  by  it,  to  maintain  a  school  in  their  respective 
chapels  several  months  each  year,  in  order  that  the  children 
of  the  community  might  have  an  opportunity  to  learn  to 
rea'd  the  Bible. 

The  first  native  teacher  in  the  Oak  Hill  congregation 
was  J.  Ross  Shoals,  one  of  the  elders  of  the  church,  who  had 
a  large  family  and  principally  of  boys.  His  work  was  that 
of  a  Bible  reader  or  Sunday  School  teacher.  About  the  year 
1876  he  began  to  hold  meetings  in  the  south  arbor  on  Sab- 
bath afternoons  for  the  purpose  of  teaching  both  old  and 
young  to  read  the  Bible  with  him.  Nathan  Mattison  suc- 
ceeded him  the  next  year  at  the  same  place  as  a  Sabbath 
school  teacher. 

In  1878,  George  M.  Dallas,  a  carpenter,  was  employed 
to  build  a  small  frame  school  house  on  the  southwest  quar- 
ter of  section  27,  and  after  its  completion  he  taught  that 
year  the  first  term  of  week  day  school  among  the  colored 
people  of  that  section.     Others  that  succeeded  Dallas,  as 


104  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

teachers  in  this  frame  school  house,  were  Mary  Rounds, 
Henry  Williams  and  Lee  Bibbs. 

OLD  LOG  HOUSE 

In  1884,  Henry  Williams  transferred  the  day  school 
to  the  "old  log  house"  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
29,  a  mile  and  a  half  northwest  of  the  school  house.  The 
motive  for  this  change  was  the  fact  there  was  no  supply 
of  good  water  near  the  school  house,  while  at  the  new  loca- 
tion there  was  a  good  well  and  a  large  vacant  building  avail- 
able for  use. 

Robin  Clark,  its  owner  and  last  occupant  was  an  active 
member  of  the  Oak  Hill  church. 

After  occupying  this  building  one  or  two  years  he 
moved  to  another  one  near  Red  river  and  generously  tend- 
ered the  free  use  of  this  one  for  the  Oak  Hill  school.  In 
1885  Henry  Friarson,  another  native  teacher,  taught  the 
school  in  this  same  "old  log  house." 

All  of  these  native  teachers  did  the  best  they  could, 
but  deeply  felt  their  insufficiency  for  the  task  laid  on  them, 
by  the  pressure  of  an  urgent  necessity.  All  had  personal 
knowledge  of  the  existence  and  unusual  privileges  afforded 
the  children  and  youth  of  the  Choctaws  at  Wheelock  and 
Spencer  Academies.  It  was  also  easy  for  them  to  see  that 
as  farmers  they  succeeded  as  well  in  securing  good  results 
from  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  as  many  of  their  Choctaw 
neighbors,  and  this  fact  tended  to  increase  their  desire  to 
have  a  "fair  chance"  and  equal  share  in  the  matter  of  ed- 
ucational privileges  for  their  children. 

The  Oak  Hill  church  and  school  happened  to  be  near 
the  center  of  the  widely  scattered  group  of  a  half  dozen 
churches    that    formed    the    monthly    circuit    of    Parson 


THE  NATIVE  OAK  HILL  SCHOOL  105 

Charles  W.  Stewart.  All  who  were  interested  in  securing 
a  good  mission  school  approved  this  location  as  the  most 
convenient  for  all  of  them,  and,  heartily  uniting  in  an  ap- 
peal for  one,  pledged  their  united  support  of  it,  when  it 
should  be  established. 

APPEAL  FOR  OAK  HILL 

The  appeal  of  the  Choctaw  Freedmen  was  presented  to 
the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Missions  for  Freedmen  by  Rev. 
Alexander  Reid  and  Rev.  John  Edwards,  the  missionaries 
in  charge  of  the  Indian  work  at  Spencer  and  Wheelock 
Academies,  respectively. 

In  the  early  days  many  of  the  old  Negroes  were  located 
near  these  educational  institutions  and  they  were  sometimes 
sent  by  their  masters  to  work  for  the  missionaries.  These 
men  living  in  their  midst  had  opportunity  to  witness  their 
extreme  poverty,  utter  ignorance  and  general  degradation. 
They  also  heard  their  personal  appeals  for  the  light  of 
knowledge  and  Bible  truth.  Their  sympathetic  interest  was 
awakened  and  began  to  manifest  itself  towards  them. 

They  were  occasionally  accorded  the  privilege  of  at- 
tending religious  services,  and  at  Doaksville,  during  the 
ministry  of  Rev.  Cyrus  Kingsbury,  were  permitted  to  hold 
occasional  Sabbath  afternoon  meetings  in  the  Choctaw 
church.  Primers,  catechisms  and  testaments  were  some- 
times presented  to  them,  and  in  this  way  a  few  of  them 
learned  to  read  the  Bible.  The  kindly  interest  of  these  mis- 
sionaries won  their  esteem  and  confidence  and  awakened  in 
many  of  them  an  abiding  love  and  affection  for  the  Presby- 
terian church. 

It  is  related  that  when  one  of  them  was  asked  to  unite 
with  another  church  because  it  was  "more  free"  he  re- 
plied, "You  are  too  free  for  me,  I  need  a  stricter  church.  I 


106  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

believe  in  staying  by  the  old  missionaries.  They  were  our 
friends  when  we  were  slaves.  They  treated  us  well  and  did 
us  good,  and  I  mean  to  stay  by  their  church  as  long  as  I 
live." 

SLAVERY  AMONG  INDIANS 

The  state  of  religion  among  all  of  the  people,  both  In- 
dians and  Negroes,  was  low,  "very  low".  One  of  the  mis- 
sionaries described  that  of  the  Negroes  as  being  like  that 
of  the  Samaritans.  ''They  fear  the  Lord  and  serve  their 
own  gods.  As  their  fathers  did,  so  do  they.  Their  condition 
is  bad,  morally  and  religiously." 

It  could  not  easily  have  been  otherwise.  The  tendency 
of  slavery,  under  the  most  favorable  conditions  has  always 
been  in  the  direction  of  a  low  standard  of  morals  and  life. 
Slavery  to  untutored  Indians,  in  a  sparsely  settled  timber 
country,  suggests  the  most  deplorable  condition  imagin- 
able. Such  a  slave  lacking  the  example  of  intelligence  and 
uprightness,  often  common  among  white  masters,  was  sub- 
jected to  generations  of  training  in  every  phase  of  depravity 
and  had  no  incentive  whatever  to  live  a  better  life. 

When,  however,  these  slaves  of  the  Indians  were  ac- 
corded their  freedom  and  became  entitled  to  a  part  of  the 
public  school  fund  of  the  Choctaws,  they  manifested  an 
earnest  desire  to  have  ministers  and  teachers  sent  them, 
that  they  might  have  churches  and  schools  of  their  own. 

Their  great  need  was  a  boarding  school  where  the  boys 
and  girls  especially  those  in  the  remote  and  neglected  rural 
districts,  could  be  taken  from  their  homes  and  trained 
under  the  personal  supervision  of  christian  teachers,  to  a 
higher  standard  of  living,  and,  some  at  least,  become  fitted 
to  serve  as  teachers  of  their  own  people. 


XII 

ERA  OF  ELIZA  HARTFORD 

1886-1888. 

THE  HEROIC  PIONEER.  —  FEBRUARY  14,  1886. —  BOARDING 
SCHOOL,  APRIL  15th,  1886.— PRISCILLA  G.  HAYMAKER.— 
NEW  SCHOOL  BUILDING  IN  1887.— ANNA  E.  CAMPBELL. 

"I'll  go  where  you  want  me  to  go." 

i^^^^^/p.HE  story  of  Oak  Hill  as  an  Industrial  Acad- 

f  yl  emy,  begins  with  the  work  of  Miss  Eliza 

I  *ili  Hartford  of  Steubenville,  Ohio,  the  first 
white  teacher  in  the  "Old  Log  house".  She 
was  commissioned  by  the  Freedmen's 
Board  in  January,  1886,  and  was  sent  in  response  to  the  ap- 
peal of  the  colored  people  of  the  Choctaw  Nation. 

The  missionaries,  Reid  and  Edwards,  had  commended 
as  the  most  favorable  location  for  such  an  educational  in- 
stitution the  rural  neighborhood  occupied  by  the  Oak  Hill 
church,  two  miles  east  of  Clear  Creek  in  the  valley  of  Red 
river. 

They  referred  to  this  as  a  "pivotal  location"  for  such 
a  school,  and  wrote,  "Here  we  want  to  see  a  good  school  es- 
tablished that  shall  grow  into  a  normal  academy.  The  lo- 
cation is  central  and  healthful.  If  in  charge  of  white  teach- 
ers, such  a  school  will  attract  scholars  from  all  the  other 
settlements." 

(107) 


108  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

HEROIC  PIONEER 

Oak  Hill,  like  other  schools  of  its  kind,  had  its  early 
period  of  heroic  effort  and  self-sacrificing  toil,  before  the 
usual  comforts  and  conveniences  of  civilized  life  could  be 
enjoyed.  This  was  true  of  the  entire  period  of  service  on 
the  part  of  Miss  Hartford,  February  1886  to  August  1888. 

When  she  arrived  at  Wheelock,  where  she  met  a  friend, 
Miss  Elder,  engaged  in  teaching  the  Indians,  Rev.  John  Ed- 
wards served  as  an  aid,  in  making  a  tour  of  inspection  over 
the  field,  of  which  she  was  to  be  the  missionary  teacher  and 
physician.  This  journey  was  made  on  horseback,  which 
was  the  most  speedy  and  comfortable  mode  of  travel,  over 
the  rough  and  winding  trails  through  the  timber  at  that 
time. 

As  a  result  of  this  survey  and  a  call  at  the  home  of 
Henry  Crittenden,  an  elder  of  the  Oak  Hill  church  and  a 
"local  trustee  of  the  neighborhood,  under  the  Choctaw  law," 
it  was  decided  that  the  "old  log  house"  was  the  best  place  to 
establish  the  school ;  and  the  best  place  for  her  to  live  was 
at  the  home  of  the  colored  elder,  Henry  Crittenden,  three 
miles  east.  She  was  expected  to  make  her  daily  journeys 
on  horseback;  and,  in  connection  with  the  work  of  the 
school,  to  visit  the  people  at  their  homes,  furnish  medicines 
for  the  sick  and  give  instruction  in  regard  to  their  care. 

In  her  description  of  the  old  log  house  Miss  Hartford 
states,  "The  windows  are  without  sash  or  glass  and  the 
roof  full  of  holes.  The  chimneys  are  of  hewn  ;tone,  strong 
and  massive.  The  house  is  of  hewed  logs,  two  stories  in 
height  and  stands  high  in  the  midst  of  a  fine  locust  grove. 
The  well  of  water  near  it  seems  as  famous  as  Jacob's  well." 

At  the  request  of  Mr.  Edwards  the  colored  people  in 
the  vicinity,  after  repairing  the  roof  and  windows,  clean- 


Eliza  Hartford. 


Anna  E.  Campbell. 


Priscilla  G.  Haymaker.       Rev.  Edward  G.  Haymaker 


The  Girls'  Hall,  1889-1910. 


The  Old  Farm  House. 

The  Pioneer  Home  of  a  Choctaw  Chief,  Leflore,  and  of  the  Oak  Hill  School. 


ERA  OF  ELIZA  HARTFORD  109 

ed,  scrubbed  and  whitewashed  the  inside  of  this  old  log 
house,  and  thus  prepared  it  for  its  new  and  noble  era  of 
usefulness. 

FEBRUARY  14,  1886 

On  Sabbath,  February  14,1886,  one  week  after  the  ar- 
rival of  Miss  Hartford,  her  first  meeting  was  held  and  a 
Sunday  school  was  organized  under  her  leadership.  At  its 
close  a  prayermeeting  was  held  in  which  she  read  the 
scriptures,  the  hymns  and  a  sermon. 

On  Tuesday,  February  16,  1886,  the  school  was  opened 
with  seven  pupils.  The  opening  exercises  consisted  in  the 
reading  of  a  chapter  by  the  new  teacher,  the  singing  of  a 
hymn  and  prayer  by  elder  Henry  Crittenden.  The  latter 
was  profoundly  impressed  with  the  fact  that,  in  the  auspic- 
ious opening  of  the  school  that  morning,  the  colored  peo- 
ple of  that  section  were  realizing  the  answer  to  their  oft 
repeated  prayers,  the  fulfilment  of  their  long  delayed  hopes. 

The  new  teacher  had  never  heard  such  a  prayer  in  any 
school  she  ever  attended.  He  thanked  Our  Heavenly 
Father,  "That  the  prayers  of  his  people  were  answered.  In 
their  bondage  they  had  cried  unto  Him  and  He  had  heard 
their  cry.  In  their  ignorance  and  darkness  they  had  asked 
for  light  and  the  light  had  come."  He  prayed  for  the 
teacher  that  "God  would  give  her  wisdom  and  enable  her  to 
be  faithful."  He  prayed  for  the  children  and  their  parents 
that,  "they  might  be  able  to  see  and  appreciate  what  God 
had  done  for  them,"  and  for  the  school,  "that  it  might  abide 
with  them  and  become  an  uplifting  power  to  them  and  their 
children." 

On  the  following  Monday  the  number  of  the  pupils 
had  increased  to  fourteen.  The  chills  were  prevalent  and 
frequently  half  the  pupils  would  be  seen  huddling  around 


110  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

the  log  fire  in  the  chimney  fireplace,  and  making  a  chatter- 
ing noise  with  their  teeth. 

A  BOARDING  SCHOOL 

On  April  15,  1886,  Miss  Hartford  began  to  live  at  the 
school  building  and  some  of  the  pupils  brought  their  corn- 
meal  so  they  might  live  "wid  de  teacher,"  and  Oak  Hill  be- 
came a  boarding  school  with  an  enrollment  of  24  pupils. 

At  a  prayer  meeting  of  the  women  held  soon  after  this 
event,  it  was  decided  to  build  a  kitchen  at  the  west  end  of 
the  log  house  so  "de  chillen  might  have  a  place  to  bake  and 
eat  their  corn  bread."  While  they  were  building  this 
kitchen  a  man  who  saw  them  said  to  Miss  Hartford,  "It 
makes  the  men  feel  mighty  mean  to  see  the  women  doing 
that  work."  She  repeated  to  him  the  following  words  from 
the  third  verse  of  the  fourth  chapter  of  Paul's  epistle  to  the 
Philippians:  "I  entreat  thee  also,  true  yokefellow,  help 
those  women  which  labor  with  me  in  the  gospel,  whose 
names  are  in  the  book  of  life."  The  result  was  very  grat- 
ifying. He  got  his  team,  hauled  the  rest  of  the  materials 
and  then  helped  them  to  complete  it.  This  improvement  in- 
creased the  facilities  and  also  the  general  interest  in  the 
school. 

In  September  1886  pupils  began  to  arrive  from  dis- 
tant places  and  whilst  some  of  them  were  retained  in  the 
building  others  were  located  among  the  friends  in  the 
neighborhood.  In  February  following,  all  the  available 
room  in  the  log  house  was  occupied  and  the  work  of  the 
school  proving  too  great  for  one  teacher,  another  one  was 
requested.  The  institution  had  now  acquired  the  name, 
"Oak  Hill  Industrial  School." 


ERA  OF  ELIZA  HARTFORD  111 

PRISCILLA  G.  HAYMAKER 

In  April  1887,  Miss  Priscilla  G.  Haymaker,  of  New- 
lonsburg,  Westmoreland  county,  Pa.,  arrived  to  aid  in  the 
management  of  the  school,  and  this  event  was  the  occasion 
for  another  thanksgiving  on  the  part  of  the  people.  At  a 
meeting  then  held  they  decided  to  build  a  house  that 
could  be  used  for  a  school  house  and  chapel,  using  the  mat- 
erials in  the  Oak  Hill  school  building  of  1878.  The  men 
agreed  to  donate  all  the  work  they  could,  and,  with  ox 
teams,  delivered  the  lumber  in  the  old  building.  The  Board 
gave  $50.00  and  Rev.  John  Edwards  $25.00  towards  the 
purchase  of  new  lumber.  It  fell  to  the  lot  of  Miss  Hartford 
and  Elder  Henry  Crittenden  to  pay  some  of  the  balances 
due  on  this  building,  and  their  contributions  were  remark- 
ably large  ones  for  those  early  days. 

Miss  Hartford,  at  the  time  this  building  was  undertak- 
en, was  given  special  permission  to  solicit  money  to  furnish 
the  new  school  building,  to  fit  up  the  "old  log  house"  for  a 
boarding  house,  and  scholarships  of  $15.00  each.  She  went 
east  and  returning  in  August  found  the  new  building  ready 
for  the  desks. 

Miss  Haymaker  solicited  and  received  the  promise  of 
a  large  bell  that  had  been  used  by  her  father  on  the  old 
farm  at  Newlonsburg,  Pa.,  that  the  people  might  rejoice 
over  the  possession  not  merely  of  a  chapel  and  school  build- 
ing, but  one  "wid  a  bell." 

The  time  appointed  for  opening  the  fall  term  was  now 
near  at  hand  and  yet  the  old  log  house  was  not  ready  for  the 
boarders,  that  were  expected  soon  to  fill  it,  owing  to  the  fact 
no  workmen  could  be  found  to  do  the  work.  Miss  Hartford 
and  Miss  Haymaker,  with  the  help  of  a  boy,  made  the  bed- 
steads and  tables  with  their  own  hands,  the  latter  mani- 


112  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

festing  considerable  skill  in  the  use  of  the  saw  and  hammer. 
On  September  1st  the  boarders  began  to  arrive  and  on  the 
15th,  60  pupils  were  enrolled  of  whom  36  were  boarders. 
Every  boarder  was  expected  to  bring  12  bushels  of  corn,  and 
with  scholarships  of  $15.00  each,  there  was  no  danger  of 
starving.  The  girls  were  required  to  do  the  housework  and 
the  boys  to  provide  the  wood.  Miss  Haymaker  was  not  used 
to  roughing  it  and  before  the  close  of  November  she  was 
compelled  to  return  to  her  home,  broken  in  health. 

ANNA  E.  CAMPBELL 

Miss  Anna  E.  Campbell  of  Midway,  Pa.,  who  had  pre- 
viously been  sent  for,  arrived  at  Oak  Hill  two  days  after  the 
departure  of  Miss  Haymaker,  and  with  her  the  long  expect- 
ed bell,  from  the  old  home  of  the  latter.  The  following  Sab- 
bath, the  first  one  on  which  they  were  called  together  for 
worship  by  the  clarion  tones  of  the  new  bell,  was  another 
glad  day  for  the  people,  and  they  extended  to  Miss  Campbell 
a  very  cordial  welcome,  as  the  new  assistant  of  Miss  Hart- 
ford. She  remained  until  the  end  of  the  term,  June  15th, 
1888. 

Miss  Campbell  held  temperance  meetings  every  Sat- 
urday and  some  objected  to  them,  because  "dey  was  teachin 
de  risin  generashun  dat  it  was  wrong  to  drink  whiskey  or 
use  tobacco,  while  de  Bible  said  it  was  good  for  de  stomik." 
During  this  second  term  six  of  the  pupils,  repeated  the 
Catechism  and  nine  united  with  the  church. 

During  the  summer  of  1888  Miss  Hartford  remained 
alone  to  take  care  of  the  homeless  children,  and  maintain 
the  Sunday  school  and  prayer  meeting.  Other  parents  be- 
gan to  call  and  plead  for  room  for  their  children.  Believing 
the  time  had  come  when  another  and  a  larger  building  was 


ERA  OF  ELIZA  HARTFORD 


113 


necessary  in  order  to  receive  them,  she  rode  a  long  distance 
to  confer  with  a  carpenter,  in  regard  to  the  erection  and 
cost  of  a  frame  building  for  boarders.  He  arranged  to  call 
and  make  an  estimate,  but  while  she  waited  for  him,  her 
health  began  to  fail.  The  exposures,  burdens  and  priva- 
tions proved  too  great  for  her,  single  handed  and  alone,  and 
she  felt  constrained  to  return  to  her  home.  She  was  un- 
able to  return  to  Oak  Hill  and  died  at  Richmond,  Ohio,  July 
9,  1901.  Miss  Campbell  was  also  unable  to  return  and  the 
school  was  left  without  a  teacher. 


XIII 


EARLY  REMINISCENCES 

ELIZA  HARTFORD.  —  PRISCILLA  G.  HAYMAKER.  —  ANNA  E. 
CAMPBELL.— THE  NIGHT  SCHOOL.— HARDSHIPS  AT  OAK 
HILL. 

"Books  are  keys  to  wisdom's  treasures; 
Books  are  gates  to  lands  of  pleasure; 
Books  are  paths  that  upward  lead; 
Books  are  friends.    Come  let  us  read." 

>HE  following  reminiscences,  gleaned  from 
letters  written  by  these  three  heroic  young 
lady  teachers,  will  be  read  with  interest. 
They  discover  in  their  own  language,  their 
feelings  of  hopefulness  and  loyalty  while 
coping  with  unexpected  embarrassments  and  unusual  pri- 
vations. Single  handed  and  alone  they  penetrated  the  wilds 
of  Indian  Territory  to  a  secluded  spot,  where  they  were  a 
half  day's  ride  from  their  nearest  white  friends,  and  thir- 
ty-five miles  from  the  railway. 

Holding  aloft  the  Bible,  the  true  standard  of  the  cross, 
they  rallied  the  ignorant  and  uncivilized  natives  appreciat- 
ingly  around  it,  more  worthily  and  long  before  our  famous 
explorers  decorated  the  North  Pole  with  the  American  flag. 
The  mail  was  carried  once  a  week  from  Clarksville  to 
Wheelock,  ten  miles  east,  the  nearest  post  office. 

TEACHING  ELIZABETH  WASHING 
At  the  end  of  her  first  year,  March  19,  1887,  when  she 
was  still  working  alone,     having     school,     Sunday  school, 


(114) 


EARLY  REMINISCENCES  115 

preaching  and  boarding  house  all  in  the  old  log  house,  Miss 
Hartford  wrote  to  a  friend,  as  follows: 

'This  ought  to  be  a  resting  day  for  me,  but  I  am  al- 
ways tired  on  Saturday.  This  has  been  my  wash  day  and  I 
will  give  you  my  experience  with  a  girl  of  fifteen,  who  is  very 
ignorant  about  the  simplest  things  relating  to  work.  It  is 
useless  to  tell  Elizabeth  how  to  do  any  work,  unless  one  goes 
with  her  and  shows  her  every  change.  Today  I  had  her 
wash  her  own  clothes  by  my  side,  while  I  washed  mine,  to 
show  her  how,  and  how  speedily  she  ought  to  do  her  own 
work.  The  only  way  to  succeed  in  having  them  work  is  to 
work  with  them. 

These  poor  Freedmen  have  a  just  claim  on  the  church. 
They  are  far  below  their  white  brothers  and  sisters,  but 
they  are  not  to  be  blamed  for  it.  Slavery  has  made  them 
so,  and  we  must  do  something  to  lift  them  up.  This  how- 
ever, will  not  be  done  by  sending  them  to  expensive 
schools,  to  make  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  them,  but  where 
they  will  learn  to  work  thoughtfully  and  be  taught  the 
pure  religion  of  the  Bible.  The  worst  ones  among  them  are 
very  religious  in  their  way. 

A  "FEELIN'  MEETIN'  " 

"On  last  Sabbath  we  had  an  example  of  the  way  they 
like  to  do  things.  Their  old  black  preacher  always  preaches 
on  the  Sunday  school  lesson.  He  comes  early  to  hear  what 
I  say  and  then  'enlarges  on  de  subjec  in  de  afternoon.'  I 
cannot  tell  you  how  hard  it  is  sometimes  to  sit  still  and 
listen  to  the  old  man's  explanations.  Last  Sabbath  he  dwelt 
a  long  time  'on  de  fact  Rebecca  was  a  shameful  deceiver  an 
dat  Jacob  was  another  one.' 

"In  the  afternoon,  after  two  hours  of  preaching  ser- 
vices he  concluded,  'as  it  was  still  early  in  de  day'  they 
would  sing  a  hymn  and  any  who  wished  to  jine  de  church 
could  come  'for'ud  and  give  us  der  hand.' 

"As  soon  as  they  started  to  sing,  a  woman  fell  in  some 
sort  of  spell.  She  was  sitting  near  me  on  the  same  bench. 
Instantly  it  occurred  to  me  they  were  getting  up  one  of 
their  'feelin'  meetin's',  as  they  call  them,  and  I  was  fright- 
ened half  out  of  my  wits.  Fearing  they  would  get  to  shout- 
ing and  pounding  each  other,  I  ran  out  as  fast  as  I  could. 
There  were  about  fifty  of  them  packed  in  one  little  room 
sixteen  feet  square  and  I  was  up  in  front.  It  was  one  of  the 


116  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

friendly  tribe  that  shouted,  and  had  I  been  wise,  I  would 
have  known  what  was  coming.  My  flight  spoiled  the  meet- 
ing, but  if  you  would  appreciate  my  feelings  just  imagine 
you  are  alone  in  a  small  room  with  fifty  darkies  and  fifteen 
or  twenty  of  them  commence  shouting  and  breaking 
benches.  I  had  a  severe  headache  and  have  not  felt  well 
all  week. 

"After  I  ran  out  the  people  laughed  and  the  poor  wo- 
man recovered  quite  suddenly.  By  the  time  I  was  safe  in 
my  own  room  the  meeting  was  dismissed.  I  was  nervous 
and  discouraged.  I  called  the  old  preacher  to  my  room  and 
gave  him  a  lecture.  He  said  he  did  not  believe  in  shouting 
and  had  no  idea  of  any  one  doing  so.  I  am  afraid  some  of 
the  shouting  ones  will  be  offended  but  I  could  not  help  it. 
It  was  the  first  time  I  have  felt  afraid  since  I  came  here. 

"The  school  children  think  it  was  the  'best  meetin' 
they  were  ever  at.'  They  say  'Miss  Hartford  did  look  so 
funny  when  she  got  scared.'  I  tell  them  they  may  laugh  at 
me  but  not  at  the  poor  woman  who  shouted.  I  tell  them  that 
shouting  and  falling  in  fits  is  not  religion,  that  the  poor  wo- 
man was  probably  a  good  christian,  but  her  shouting  and 
spells  do  not  make  her  one. 

"  'Mamma  says,'  said  one  of  them,  'that  she  first  took 
religion  wid  one  of  them  spells  and  dey  alius'  come  when  she 
gits  happy.'  " 

"Poor  things!  I  tell  you  this  to  show  you  in  what  a  sad 
state  they  are.  They  have  had  enough  preaching  to  make 
them  think  they  are  religious,  but  have  had  no  real  Bible 
teaching,  and  there  are  ten  thousand  of  them  in  this  nation. 
The  Board  has  concluded  to  send  Miss  Haymaker  here  and 
I  am  glad. 

BOTHERSOME  "BREDDERIN" 

The  Board  talks  about  sending  a  new  preacher  here, 
I  hope  they  will  send  a  strong  healthy  consecrated  white 
man.  A  sickly  man  has  no  business  here.  Common  sense 
and  grit  are  needed  more  than  learning.  It  will  be  no  easy 
task  for  a  white  preacher  to  manage  these  black  Presby- 
terians. I  suspect  it  will  require  more  tact  and  will  power 
to  manage  this  set,  than  one  of  our  city  churches. 

A  half  dozen  old  fellows  claiming  to  be  elders  tried  to 
run  'de  Sunday  School  and  de  teacher'  until  I  read  to  them  a 
letter  from  Dr.  Allen,  secretary  of  the  Board.  Not  one  of 
them  can  read,  but  they  take  great  pride  in  being  elders. 


Mrs.  M.  E.  Crowe. 


Carrie  E.  Crowe 


Anna  T.  Hunter. 


Martha  Hunter. 


L 


EARLY  REMINISCENCES  117 

k 

Some  were  appointed  elders  in  other  churches  and  they 
think  that  makes  them  elders  here.  It  will  be  a  sad  day  to 
them  when  they  learn  they  are  not  elders  here,  and  I  fear 
they  will  not  then  be  willing  to  remain  as  members. 

I  have  written  you  a  long  letter  and  it  is  all  about  the 
darkies ;  but  no  doubt  you  are  expecting  that. 

HARD  WORK  AND  MISERABLE  LIVING 

"I  am  not  so  strong,  in  fact  feel  ten  years  older  than  one 
year  ago.  I  fear  I  cannot  stand  the  heat  this  summer.  I 
said  'heat'  but  do  not  mean  that  exactly.  This  climate  is 
rather  pleasant,  if  we  could  only  provide  comforts.  It  is 
the  constant  hard  work  and  miserable  way  of  living  that 
makes  it  so  bad. 

"No  white  person  could  eat  what  these  women  prepare, 
— bread,  always  of  corn,  and  fat  pork,  swimming  in  grease. 
Give  them  flour,  they  stir  in  a  lot  of  soda  and  serve  you 
biscuit  as  green  as  grass.  They  have  no  idea  of  better 
cooking  and  will  not  take  the  pains  to  do  better.  We  are 
going  to  teach  them  to  cook,  scrub  and  wash  clothes. 

"Write  soon  and  tell  me  whether  you  called  on  mother, 
when  you  were  in  Steubenville. 

Your  Friend, 

Eliza  Hartford." 

Six  months  later  when  she  returned  from  a  short  visit 
to  her  mother  she  writes : 

"The  weeds  were  so  high  I  could  scarcely  see  the  house. 
I  had  to  pay  forty  dollars  from  my  own  earnings  on  lumber 
hauled  for  the  new  school  building,  but  which  Elder  Critten- 
den says,  was  taken  by  thieves.  I  paid  it  to  save  our  credit 
and  am  glad  I  had  it  to  give. 

"We  have  now  nineteen  boarders.  I  am  almost  worked 
to  death  and  it  takes  all  my  patience  to  stand  it." 

BETSY  BOBBET 

A  letter  dated  January  6,  1888,  bears  the  stamp,  "Oak 

Hill  Industrial  Academy."     A  change  in  her  assistants  had 

taken  place  in  November  previous  and  she  writes: 

"Miss  Haymaker  before  leaving  had  miserable  health 
and  I  have  had  a  hard  time  since  my  return.  I  think  Miss 
Campbell  will  do  well.     The  attendance  now  ranges  from  45 


118  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

to  60  and  I  am  not  able  to  do  anything  except  the  school 
work.  Four  of  the  children  have  had  chills  and  fever,  and 
I  have  had  to  rise  at  night  to  care  for  them.  I  have  been 
trying  to  do  the  work  of  three  people  and  not  complain. 
Still  I'd  like  to  grumble  a  little,  if  I  could  find  the  right  one 
to  talk  to.  I  am  beginning  to  feel  a  little  like  Josiah  Allen's 
wife,  when  she  said,  'Betsy  Bobbet,  you're  a  fool,  or  else 
me.' 

"Still  I  had  rather  be  regarded  foolish,  by  working  hard 
for  the  good  of  others,  than  take  advantage  of  another. 

Pray  for  me  for  I  need  your  prayers. 

Eliza  Hartford." 

MISS  HAYMAKER'S  EVENTFUL  JOURNEY. 

Miss  Priscilla  G.  Haymaker  made  her  first  journey  to 
Oak  Hill  about  the  first  of  April,  1887.  She  passed  by 
way  of  St.  Louis  to  Texarkana,  Arkansas,  50  miles  east  of 
Clarksville,  over  the  Iron  Mountain  railway.  This  part  of 
the  journey  was  made  during  the  night,  and  most  of  the 
time  she  was  the  only  lady  in  the  car.  The  crowd  on  the 
train  was  one  of  ruffians,  who  spent  the  time  playing  cards, 
drinking  whiskey  and  showing  their  revolvers. 

The  conductor  said  to  her,  "Lady  you  have  a  rough 
crowd  to  ride  with  to  night,  but  I  will  not  leave  you  long." 
He  was  as  good  as  his  word.  He  sat  in  the  seat  with  her 
when  in  the  car  and  returned  promptly  when  required  to  be 
absent. 

At  Clarksville  she  found  the  driver  from  Wheelock 
awaiting  her  arrival  at  the  hotel.  As  early  as  four  o'clock 
the  next  morning  everything  was  in  readiness  for  making 
the  trip  to  Wheelock  in  a  covered  wagon.  It  soon  began 
to  rain  and  continued  raining  all  day.  It  was  8  o'clock  at 
night  when  the  team  arrived  at  Wheelock. 

The  cordial  welcome  extended  by  Rev.  John  Edwards, 
Superintendent,  and  his  wife  and  the  teachers  at  Wheel- 


EARLY  REMINISCENCES  119 

ock  Academy,  was  one  not  soon  to  be  forgotten.  It  was 
greatly  appreciated  and  enabled  her  to  feel  she  had  gotten 
back  again  to  a  place  of  civilization. 

Miss  Haymaker,  the  first  assistant  of  Miss  Hartford, 
April  to  November  1887,  was  a  native  of  Newlonsburg,  Pa., 
daughter  of  George  R.  and  Priscilla  Haymaker. 

On  October  1,  1890,  she  returned  to  Oak  Hill  and  served 
as  the  principal  teacher  in  the  Academy  the  next  six  years. 
In  the  fall  of  1892  she  was  joined  by  her  brother  Rev.  E.  G. 
Haymaker,  who  then  became  superintendent.  On  October 
13,  1896,  she  became  the  wife  of  John  Blair  of  Chambers- 
burg,  Pa.,  and  they  still  reside  there. 

MISS  CAMPBELL'S  TRIP  FROM  CLARKSVILLE. 

Miss  Anna  E.  Campbell,  the  successor  of  Miss  Hay- 
maker arrived  at  Clarksville,  the  same  day  the  latter  passed 
through  that  place  on  her  way  home  in  November,  1887. 

The  proprietor  of  the  hotel  called  her  very  early  the 
next  morning  and  informed  her  he  had  secured  a  mule  team 
driven  by  a  negro  to  take  her  to  Oak  Hill.  When  she  was 
leaving  the  hotel  he  solicitously  inquired, 

"Do  you  carry  a  gun  ?" 

"No  I  haven't  any  weapon  except  a  little  pocket  knife," 
she  answered.  He  then  said,  "In  going  into  Indian  Terri- 
tory you  ought  to  have  a  gun,  you  may  need  it." 

Mr.  Moore,  the  railway  agent,  a  man  from  Ohio,  notic- 
ing by  the  check  of  her  trunk,  that  she  came  from  Pennsyl- 
vania, was  very  courteous  and  gave  his  name.  He  charged 
the  driver  to  protect  the  lady  at  the  risk  of  his  own  life; 
all  of  which  he  solemnly  promised  to  do,  by  promptly  answer- 
ing, "Yes  sah,  dat  I  will." 


120  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

The  bell  and  two  barrels  of  clothing  for  Oak  Hill  were 
put  on  the  wagon  and  they  made  the  load  a  pretty  good  one 
for  the  team.  After  driving  northward  all  day  it  began  to 
grow  dark  and  they  had  not  yet  reached  the  ferry  across 
Red  River.  The  crossing  was  made  however  without  ac- 
cident. 

When  the  landing  had  been  completed  the  driver  re- 
marked : 

"I  don't  reckon  we  will  get  dar,  'coz  I  doesn't  know  de 
way  now." 

Fortunately  there  were  several  houses  not  very  far 
away  on  the  bluff  along  the  river,  and  after  a  few  inquir- 
ies, a  white  family  was  found  that  very  kindly  gave  Miss 
Campbell  shelter  for  the  night. 

The  woman  at  once  offered  her  a  sniff  of  snuff  as  a 
token  of  good  will.  When  the  snuff  was  very  politely  de- 
clined, she  laconically  remarked : 

"Well,  some  folks  don't." 

Miss  Campbell  arrived  at  Oak  Hill,  ten  miles  distant 
from  the  ferry,  the  next  day,  after  experiencing  a  "stuck 
fast"  in  the  mud  on  the  way. 

Miss  Campbell  was  a  native  of  Midway,  Washington 
county,  Pa.  She  became  the  assistant  of  Miss  Hartford  in 
November,  1887,  two  days  after  the  departure  of  Miss  Hay- 
maker and  remained  until  June  15,  1888.  At  that  time  she 
expected  to  return  about  the  first  of  October  following. 
But  when  her  trunk  had  been  packed  for  that  purpose  cir- 
cumstances arose  at  home  that  made  it  necessary  for  her 
to  remain  and  take  care  of  her  parents,  both  of  whom  were 
aged  and  infirm.  On  March  7,  1905,  she  became  the  wife  of 
James  H.  McClusky  and  now  lives  on  a  well  cultivated  pro- 
ductive farm  near  Monongahela,  Pa. 


EARLY  REMINISCENCES  121 

MISS  HARTFORD'S  NIGHT  SCHOOL. 

On  requesting  Alexander  M.  Reid,  D.  D.,  of  Steubenville, 
Ohio,  the  early  home  of  Eliza  Hartford  to  obtain  and  send  a 
photo  of  her,  he  reported  her  death  at  Richmond,  Ohio,  July 
9,  1901 ;  and  stating  that  a  photo  could  not  be  found  among 
her  relatives,  sent  instead  the  following  beautiful  incident, 
growing  out  of  her  work  as  a  teacher  of  night  school  in  that 
place  before  she  came  to  Oak  Hill. 

MATTHEW  FINDING  HIS  OPPORTUNITY 

Rev.  Charles  C.  Beatty,  D.  D.,  a  former  Moderator  of  the 
General  Assembly  who  had  become  almost  totally  blind,  at 
the  close  of  a  prayer  meeting  held  in  the  Second  Presbyter- 
ian church,  said  to  Miss  Hartford,  "Could  you  not  name  one 
of  your  boys  here  to  lead  me  home?" 

She  replied,  "Yes,  here  is  Matthew  Rutherford;  he  will 
lead  you  home." 

On  the  way  home  Dr.  Beatty  asked  Matthew,  what  he 
was  doing:  He  replied,  "I  dig  coal  in  the  day  time  and  go 
to  the  school  of  Miss  Hartford  at  night." 

When  near  home  Dr.  Beatty  inquired,  "Matthew,  how 
would  you  like  to  go  to  school  and  get  an  education?"  He 
said,  "I  would  like  it  very  much." 

Dr.  Beatty  then  said,  "Matthew,  you  may  quit  digging 
coal  and  go  through  the  school  and  High  School.  Then  if 
you  have  a  good  standing,  I  will  send  you  to  college.  If  the 
Lord  should  then  seem  to  be  calling  you  to  be  a  minister,  I 
will  enable  you  to  pursue  your  studies  at  Allegheny  Semi- 
nary. 

Matthew,  who  was  a  native  of  England  and  exceeding- 
ly grateful  for  this  recognition  and  counsel,  quit  the  mines 
and  entered  school.     He  graduated  from  Washington  and 


122  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Jefferson  college  in  1884,  and  from  the  theological  Seminary, 
three  years  later.  Since  1896  he  has  been  the  highly  es- 
teemed pastor  of  the  third  Presbyterian  church,  Washing- 
ton, Pa.,  and  Bible  instructor  in  the  college  since  1900.  He 
received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  in  1909. 

This  incident  serves  to  illustrate  the  readiness  of  the 
friends  of  Christian  Education  to  aid  young  people  of  limit- 
ed means,  who  are  trying  to  educate  themselves;  and  the 
care  they  also  take  to  know  they  are  worthy.  It  also  shows 
the  importance  of  young  people  industriously  and  economi- 
cally doing  what  they  can  to  help  themselves.  That  is  their 
best  recommendation. 

If  young  Rutherford,  while  working  in  the  mines, 
had  indulged  in  spending  his  evenings  at  places  merely  of 
amusement  or  entertainment  as  many  do,  he  would  have 
missed  the  golden  opportunity  of  his  life.  The  unexpected 
and  gracious  offer  came  to  him,  while  he  was  attending 
night  school  and  the  weekly  prayer  meeting.  It  was  while 
he  was  taking  advantage  of  these  opportunities  for  intel- 
lectual and  moral  improvement,  within  his  reach,  that  he 
found  the  true  and  faithful  friend,  whose  assistance  he 
most  needed. 

HARDSHIPS  AT  OAK  HILL. 

Miss  Hartford,  before  coming  to  Oak  Hill,  spent  several 
years  as  a  teacher  among  the  Mormons  at  Silver  City,  Utah. 
This  was  a  period  when  missionary  work  was  difficult  and 
dangerous.  She  resigned  that  work  on  account  of  the  fail- 
ing health  of  her  aged  mother. 

She  patiently  and  hopefully  endured  many  privations 
and  hardships  in  faithfully  and  energetically  carrying  for- 


EARLY  REMINISCENCES  123 

ward  the  work  entrusted  to  her.     These  were  greatest  at 
Oak  Hill  than  elsewhere. 

At  Oak  Hill  she  was  unable  to  relieve  the  natural  con- 
ditions that  produce  malarial  troubles.  She  felt  very  deep- 
ly the  loneliness  of  dwelling  in  the  wilderness,  where  there 
was  no  white  person  in  the  neighborhood  to  render  assist- 
ance in  time  of  special  need,  or  sympathetic  friend  to  ex- 
press a  word  of  comfort  and  encouragement.  Then  she 
could  not  avoid  the  incessant  strain  of  continuous  work  and 
worry  under  surroundings  and  limitations,  that  could  not  be 
removed  and  tended  to  produce  that  nervous  exhaustion, 
which  results  in  complete  prostration.  This  nervous  strain 
was  increased  by  every  advancing  step  in  the  progress  of 
the  work.  Relief  from  this  malady  is  not  found  in  the  use 
of  medicines,  but  in  a  complete  change  of  scenes,  diet  and 
employment.  She  and  her  two  faithful  helpers  were  com- 
pelled to  seek  this  form  of  relief. 


XIV 

EARLY  TIMES  AT  FOREST. 

FOREST    CHAPEL.— LIFTING    THE    COLLECTION.— PRIMITIVE 
MID-WEEK  MEETINGS. 

"I  have  considered  the  days  of  old,  the  years  of  ancient 
times." 

)^3>^^/^HE  following  reminiscences  of  early  times  at 
W  Forest  church  are  narrated  for  their  intrin- 
I  0]  sic  as  well  as  historic  interest.  The  first 
Xajj  one  reveals  an  order  of  service,  that  is  very 
n  general  in  the  colored  churches.  It  is  one 
that  affords  the  deacon,  if  he  be  a  man  so  disposed,  to  spon- 
taneously introduce  considerable  native  wit  and  humor  in- 
to the  part  of  the  service  entrusted  to  him ;  and  if  he  does, 
it  very  naturally  prepares  the  way  for  unexpected  shouts 
of  joy  and  gladness  on  the  part  of  those  who  are  emotional 
or  subject  to  the  sudden  impulse  of  ecstatic  delight. 

FOREST  CHAPEL. 
Forest  Chapel,  as  is  suggested  by  its  name,  was  located 
in  the  large  and  dense  oak  forest  along  Red  river  eight  miles 
south  of  Wheelock.  Its  post  office  has  been  successively, 
Wheelock,  Fowlerville,  Parsons  and  since  1906  Millerton. 
The  Forest  church  was  organized  by  Parson  Stewart  about 
1886,  and  was  served  by  him  once  a  month  the  next  seven 
years.  In  1898  it  became  a  remote  part  of  the  field  of 
Rev.  William  Butler  of  Eagletown,  who  also  endeavored  to 
visit  it  once  a  month. 

(124) 


EARLY  TIMES  AT  FOREST  125 

The  chapel  was  a  lonely,  dingy  and  dilapidated  build- 
ing, inside  as  well  as  outside.  It  was  about  20  by  30  feet 
and  was  built  entirely  of  rough  lumber.  The  side  walls 
consisted  of  one  thickness  of  wide  inch  boards,  nailed  at  the 
top  and  bottom,  and  having  a  thin  strip  over  the  cracks 
on  the  outside.  The  roof  was  covered  with  long,  split,  oak 
clapboards,  that  invariably  look  black  and  rough  at  the 
end  of  a  year.  The  pulpit  consisted  of  a  box-like  arrange- 
ment that  stood  on  a  small  platform  at  the  center  of  one 
end.  The  seats  consisted  of  a  half  dozen  rough  benches 
without  backs,  that  could  be  arranged  around  the  stove  in 
cold  weather,  or  in  three  fold  groups  for  a  picnic  dinner,  the 
middle  one  being  used  for  a  table  on  such  occasions  and  the 
other  two  for  seats  around  it.  No  paint  or  even  white  wash 
ever  found  a  place  on  this  building.  It  was  the  largest  and 
best  building  in  the  neighborhood,  and  the  popular  resort 
for  all  of  their  social  gatherings. 

The  leading  men  of  the  congregation  consisted  of  two 
elders,  both  venerable  and  devout  survivors  of  the  slavery 
period,  neither  of  whom  could  read,  and  a  deacon,  who  was 
one  of  the  only  two  of  the  older  people  who  could  read  a 
little. 

LIFTING  THE  COLLECTION 

It  was  regarded  as  the  duty  of  the  deacon  to  "lift  the 
collection"  at  the  Sabbath  services.  This  gave  him  a  very 
prominent  part  in  the  services,  for  the  collection  is  not  lift- 
ed by  passing  the  hat  or  basket,  but  each  contributor,  after 
the  general  call  brings  their  offering  and  lays  it  either  on 
the  pulpit  or  a  little  stand  near  it.  However  novel  this 
arrangement  may  at  first  appear  to  those  unaccustomed  to 
it,  it  must  be  remembered  that  a  method  somewhat  similar 
to  this  was  in  use  in  the  Temple  in  Jerusalem,  when  our  Lord 


126  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Jesus,  taking  his  seat  opposite  the  treasury,  saw  the  poor 
widow  cast  in  her  two  mites  and  commended  her  very 
highly. 

It  was  not  unusual  for  the  deacon  to  announce  before 
hand  the  amount  needed  and  then,  as  the  offerings  are  pre- 
sented, to  state  the  amount  received  from  time  to  time,  until 
finally  the  whole  amount  is  obtained.  This  part  of  the  ser- 
vice was  always  enlivened  by  singing  some  soul-stirring 
songs,  that  everybody  could  sing.  Occasionally  it  would 
take  the  form  of  a  good  natured  rivalry,  as  to  which  could 
appear  the  most  happy  and  joyous,  the  deacon,  vociferously 
announcing  from  time  to  time  as  their  offerings  came  in, 
the  latest  result  of  the  collection,  or,  the  people,  whose  mer- 
ry singing  would  occasionally  develop  into  a  shout  of  ecstatic 
enjoyment,  on  the  part  of  one  or  more  of  their  number. 

PRIMITIVE  MID-WEEK  MEETINGS 

The  early  preachers,  having  monthly  appointments, 
were  always  very  faithful  in  exhorting  and  encouraging 
the  elders  of  their  distant  congregations  to  maintain  regu- 
lar Sabbath  services,  for  the  study  of  the  Bible  and  Catech- 
ism, and  a  mid-week  meeting  for  praise  and  prayer.  The 
people  were  encouraged  to  attend  all  these  meetings  and 
cordially  cooperate  with  the  elders  in  making  them  inter- 
esting and  instructive. 

The  older  generation  at  Forest  was  one  that  had  a  fore- 
taste of  slavery  in  their  early  days,  but  not  a  day  of  school 
privileges,  except  as  the  Bible  was  read  or  taught  at  their 
meetings  on  the  Sabbath.  The  lack  of  school  privileges  in 
the  neighborhood  and  its  remote  seclusion  from  the  outside 
world,  had  the  effect  of  leaving  these  colored  people  to  con- 
tinue their  primitive  ways  and  methods  of  doing  things,  to 


EARLY  TIMES  AT  FOREST  127 

a  later  elate  than  in  many  other  more  highly  favored  com- 
munities. 

The  following  narrative  contains  an  account  of  the  mid- 
week meetings  held  at  Forest  about  the  year  1897  when 
Miss  Bertha  L.  Ahrens,  a  white  missionary  teacher  of  our 
Freedmen's  Board  opened  a  mission  school  in  the  chapel.  It 
shows  how  the  people,  that  lived  in  the  gross  darkness  of 
utter  ignorance,  groped  for  the  light  and  earnestly  endeav- 
ored to  extend  it,  when  the  gospel  was  first  presented  to 
them. 

The  mid-week  meetings  are  held  regularly  when  not 
prevented  by  rain  or  cold  weather.  The  people  live  in  little 
shanties  scattered  through  the  timber  near  springs  of  water 
and  are  poorly  clad.  In  good  weather  they  "begin  to  gath- 
er" about  8:30  p.  m.  and  continue  to  "gather"  until  9:30, 
when  Elder  "B."  taking  his  place  at  the  left  of  the  pulpit, 
"reckons  that  they's  all  here  that's  going  to  com."  Elder  F. 
aits  down  beside  him  and  neither  of  them  can  read.  Deacon 
L.  who  serves  as  chorister,  occupies  a  shortseat  in  front  of 
the  pulpit.  The  wives  of  the  elders,  the  lady  missionary  and 
other  leading  sisters  occupy  seats — a  bench — at  the  right 
of  the  pulpit. 

The  meetings  are  opened  by  the  deacon,  who  reads  two 
lines  of  a  hymn  and,  winding  out  a  tune,  the  people  unite  in 
singing  them.  Two  more  lines  continue  to  be  read  and  sung 
until  the  hymn  has  been  completed. 

When  the  deacon  is  not  present  Elder  "B."  says:  "Will 
some  of  you  select  something  to  sing?"  If  no  brother  is  pres- 
ent, who  can  read,  a  sister  or  the  missionary,  or  perhaps  one 
of  her  school  boys,  may  "line  out"  a  hymn  and  may  even 
"raise  it"  but  the  tune  must  be  one  "the  old  folks  can  sing." 
If  the  one  who  "raises  the  tune"  breaks  down  with  it,  any 


128  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

one  may  pick  it  up  and  go  on  with  it  to  the  end  of  the  two 
lines  that  have  been  "lined  out." 

The  missionary's  organ  is  in  position  ready  for  use,  but 
it  must  be  silent  in  the  prayer  meeting,  and  also  at  the 
preaching  service.  It  is  a  new  and  troublesome  innovation. 
It  takes  the  prominence  in  the  singing,  that  belongs  to  the 
officers  of  the  church.  The  missionary  cannot  wind  and 
slur  the  tunes  on  it,  the  way  the  old  folks  have  learned  to 
sing  them,  and  it  robs  the  singing  of  its  old-time  sweetness 
and  power.    The  organ  therefore  remains  silent. 

After  the  first  hymn,  Elder  "B."  who  never  allows  any 
one  else,  not  even  the  preacher,  to  lead  the  prayer  meeting, 
now  calls  on  some  one  to  "read  us  a  lesson  from  the  Bible." 
This  was  an  innovation  introduced  into  the  prayer  meeting 
after  the  arrival  of  the  lady  missionary.  It  is  at  first  mere- 
ly tolerated,  comments  and  explanations  are  strictly  for- 
bidden. These  restrictions  in  regard  to  the  Bible  in  the 
meeting  were  due  to  the  influence  exerted  by  the  wife  of 
Elder  "B."  who  had  been  the  first  real  leader  of  the  church 
and  was  still  regarded  as  a  "mother  in  Israel,  whose  opin- 
ions should  be  respected."  She  felt  that  God  had  taught 
her  by  visions  and  dreams,  and  believed  he  would  teach 
others  the  same  way.  Elder  "F."  however,  is  not  satisfied  till 
he  and  others  have  heard  the  "Word  of  God"  and  permission 
to  read  it  is  given. 

"Down  to  pray,"  is  the  next  request  of  the  leader,  and 
the  voice  of  every  one  present  is  expected  to  be  heard  in 
this  part  of  the  meeting.  A  sister,  whose  seat  is  near  a 
window,  begs  the  Lord  to  "come  this-a-way,  just  a  little 
while,  to  lay  his  head  in  the  window  and  hear  his  servant 
pray."  A  brother  near  the  front  door  responds  approvingly, 
"Yes  sir,"  and  bids  him,  "Walk  in,  and  take  a  front  seat." 


EARLY  TIMES  AT  FOREST  129 

The  prayer  of  a  devout  sister  after  one  or  two  petitions,  be- 
comes an  earnest  exhortation  to  all  the  sinners  to  repent 
and  be  saved. 

Some  seemed  to  believe  their  prayers  have  to  travel 
long  journeys  and  are  better  long  than  short.  Somt  prayers 
are  chanted  with  a  pleasing  variety  of  the  voice,  while 
others  are  agonized  by  using  many  repetitions.  All  are  wit- 
nessed to  by  "amen"  and  similar  words  of  attestation;  for 
these  are  "live  christians",  and  have  no  use  for  "dead  meet- 
ings." 

Elder  "F."  who  sits  beside  the  leader,  sometimes  insists 
on  "making  some  remarks."  If  the  leader  whispers  to  him 
"make  it  short,"  and  he  does  not  give  good  heed,  the  start- 
ing of  a  familiar  hymn  is  the  method  adopted  to  "bring  him 
down." 

At  a  meeting  held  on  the  forenoon  of  Christmas,  Elder 
"F."  was  feeling  too  happy  and  grateful  to  restrain  himself. 
His  theme  was  "Our  Wonderful  Saviour,"  and  he  began  to 
exhort  sinners  to  open  their  hearts  to  him.  He  became  so 
absorbed  in  the  greatness  and  importance  of  his  theme  as 
not  to  heed  the  usual  whisper  of  the  leader  or  even  the 
starting  of  the  familiar  hymn.  The  situation  is  one  of  em- 
barrassment to  the  leader.  The  one  that  proves  equal  to  it 
is  Elder  "B.'s"  wife.  She  walks  over  to  him,  grabs  him  by 
both  arms  and  pushes  him  down  on  his  seat,  saying,  "Bud, 
you  talks  too  much,  sit  down  now  and  keep  still."  She 
laughs  as  she  says  this,  the  elder  smiles  as  he  sits  down, 
and  the  meeting  proceeds  in  good  form. 

The  usual  way  of  closing  the  mid-week  meeting  was 
about  as  follows :  Elder  "B."  says,  "Well  we's  done  about  all 
we  can  do.  Let  us  sing  something  and  go  home."  If  elder  "F." 


130 


CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 


does  not  call  for  the  new  hymn,  they  have  recently  learned 
from  the  organ, 

"Lord  dismiss  us  with  thy  blessing,"  they  stand  and 
sing  a  familiar  one.  Elder  "B."  then  says :  "Amen !"  and  dis- 
misses the  congregation  with  a  wave  of  his  hand. 

In  the  Sunday  school  the  attitude  of  the  people  toward 
the  Bible,  the  organ  and  the  lady  missionary  was  altogether 
different.  Here  she  is  the  recognized  leader,  both  in  the 
singing  and  Bible  instruction.  As  they  profit  by  her  instruc- 
tion, and  listen  a  few  times  to  some  of  their  familiar  hymns 
on  the  organ,  the  younger  people  manifest  pleasure  and  de- 
light and  the  early  prejudices  of  the  older  ones  are  gradually 
forgotten. 

The  first  elders  of  Forest  church  were  Simon  Folsom, 
Charles  Bibbs  and  Lee  Bibbs.  Charles  Bashears  was  soon 
afterward  added  to  their  number  and  died  in  1912.  His 
wife  exerted  a  leading  influence  in  the  earlier  years  of  this 
church. 

The  allotment  of  lands  in  1905  made  it  necessary  to 
move  Forest  church  to  another  location ;  and  in  1909,  it  was 
moved  about  two  miles  east  in  the  valley  of  Red  river. 


XV 

ERA  OF  JAMES  F.  McBRIDE 

1888-1892 

GIRL'S    HALL    IN    1889.— ADDITIONAL    SCHOOL     ROOM.— Mc- 
BRIDE DIES  JAN.  29,  1892.— MRS.  McBRIDE. 

"Seest  thou  a  man  diligent  in  his  business,  he  shall 
stand  before  kings,  he  shall  not  stand  before  mean  men." 

ERA  OF  SUPT.  McBRIDE 

BOUT  October  1,  1888  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James 
F.  McBride  arrived  to  take  charge  of  the 
work  as  superintendent  and  matron.  Their 
arrival  was  the  occasion  of  another  joyful 
meeting  on  the  part  of  the  colored  people 
who  came  to  see  the  "suptender,  and  express  their  great  joy 
over  the  new  start  that  was  to  be  given  the  school." 

Mrs.  McBride  at  a  later  date,  referring  to  the  appear- 
ance of  things  on  the  day  of  their  arrival  at  this,  their  new 
home,  wrote : 

"I  can  still  see  how  the  old  log  house  looked  as  we  drove 
up ;  so  dilapidated.  A  broken  down  porch  ran  along  the  front 
of  it,  and  we  had  to  climb  over  an  old  rail  fence  to  get  to  it. 
Our  first  meal  was  corn  bread  made  with  water — without 
salt — and  stewed  dried  peaches." 

When  the  school  opened  they  were  assisted  by  Miss 
Carrie  Peck,  Celestine  Hodges  and  Mary  Grundy. 

A  new  era  was  now  inaugurated  in  the  management  of 
the  school.  Ownership  as  yet  extended  only  to  the  farm 
buildings,  which  consisted  of  the  old  log  house,  and  barn, 

(131) 


132  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

purchased. from  Robin  Clark,  and  the  new  school  building. 
The  first  effort  was  now  made  to  utilize  two  small  fields  of 
cleared  lamd  and  the  neighboring  timber  to  raise  stock  and 
crops  for  the  local  support  of  the  school. 

GIRLS'  HALL 

In  1889  a  commodious  Girls'  Hall  was  built  having 
ample  facilities  for  carrying  and  boarding  a  considerable 
number  of  students.  The  enjoyment  of  anything  like  ordin- 
ary home  comforts  on  the  part  of  the  teachers  began  with 
the  occupancy  of  this  building.  It  became  the  home  of 
the  family  of  the  superintendent,  teachers  and  the  girls ;  and 
the  old  log  house  was  fitted  up  for  occupancy  by  the  boys. 
An  additional  room  was  also  added  to  the  school  building. 

As  the  patronage  of  the  school  increased  Mr.  McBride 
felt  there  was  need  for  a  suitable  Boys'  Hall.  He  made  the 
plans  for  it  and,  enlisting  the  interest  of  the  women  of  In- 
diana, they  provided  the  money  for  it.  On  January  29,  1892, 
after  three  and  one  half  years  of  faithful  service  and  before 
his  hopes  could  be  realized  by  merely  starting  the  work  on 
the  new  building,  his  death  occurred  and  the  progress  of 
the  improvement  work  was  again  arrested. 

Mr.  McBride  was  educated  at  Hanover,  Indiana,  and 
had  previously  taught  in  several  other  schools.  He  was  an 
active  christian  worker  and  had  been  ordained  a  ruling 
elder  in  the  Presbyterian  church.  He  anticipated  the  fut- 
ure needs  of  the  school  by  planting  fruit  trees,  that,  during 
these  later  years,  have  borne  bountiful  crops  of  fruit. 

The  other  assistants  of  Mr.  McBride  were  Mary  Coff- 
land,  principal  in  1889  and  assistant  principal  1890  to  1892; 
Miss  Priscilla  G.  Haymaker,  who  returned  to  serve  as  prin- 
cipal in  1890  and  continued  until  1896.     Other  assistants 


ERA  OF  JAMES  F.  McBRIDE  133 

were  Anna  McBride,  Bettie  Stewart,  colored,  and  Rilla  Fields 
who  served  from  the  fall  of  1891  to  the  spring  of  1895. 

MRS.  J.  F.  McBRIDE 
During  the  next  eight  months  the  management  of  the 
institution  devolved  upon  Mrs.  McBride;  and  she  contin- 
ued to  serve  as  matron  until  the  spring  of  1899,  a  period  of 
eleven  years.  She  gave  to  this  institution  many  of  her  best 
years  for  service,  and  the  best  work  of  her  life.  She  be- 
came specially  interested  in  a  number  of  young  people  at 
Oak  Hill  and  aided  them  to  attend  other  schools  of  our 
Board.    She  is  now  living  at  Coalgate,  Okla. 


XVI 

ERA  OF  REV.  EDWARD  G.  HAYMAKER 

1892-1904 

A  TERM  ANNOUNCEMENT.— BOYS'  HALL  1893.— LAUNDRY 
AND  SMOKEHOUSE,  1895.— MR.  AND  MRS.  HAYMAKER.— 
MRS.  McBRIDE.— OTHER  HELPERS.— ANNA  AND  MATTIE 
HUNTER.— MRS.  M.  E.  CROWE.— PRAYING  FOR  WATER.— 
APPEAL   FOR    HOSPITAL.— CARRIE    E.    CROWE. 

"Learning  is  wealth  to  the  poor, 

An  honor  to  the  rich, 

An  aid  to  the  young, 

A  support  and  comfort  to  the  aged." 

ERA,  1892-1904. 

i)<^|fiN  0ctober  x»    1892'    Rev-    Edward    Graham 
"*^    *■   Haymaker  became  superintendent  and  con- 
tinued to  serve  in  that  capacity  until  the 
tj  spring  of  1904. 

The  following  extracts,  from  a  circular 
announcement,  sent  out  in  script  form,  for  one  of  the  early 
years  of  this  period,  are  full  of  historic  interest. 

"Oak  Hill  Industrial  school  for  colored  children  is  sit- 
uated 5  miles  north  of  Red  river  and  25  miles  east  of  Good- 
land,  the  nearest  R.  R.  station.  School  opens  Oct.  2nd.  and 
will  continue  for  a  term  of  six  months.  It  is  important  that 
all  who  attend  be  on  hand  at  the  opening.  The  sum  of  $10.00 
for  citizens  and  $12.00  for  non-citizens  will  be  charged 
which  must  be  paid  in  advance,  or  assurance  given  for  its 
payment.  The  price  of  tuition  has  been  raised  by  the  Board 
as  the  Choctaw  fund  seems  to  be  cut  off.  It  only  amounts 
to  1  cent  a  meal  or  3  cents  a  day  for  board  and  li/2  cents  for 
lodging.  Cheap  enough.  The  Board  pays  the  large  part  of 
the  bill. 

"Shoes  must  in  all  cases  be  provided  by  parents  and 
guardians.     Girls  will  be  provided  with     other    articles  of 

(134) 


ERA  OF  REV.  EDWARD  G.  HAYMAKER      135 

clothing  as  far  as  possible,  but  no  such  provision  can  be 
made  for  boys.  Books  for  all  will  be  provided  free,  and  all 
will  be  required  to  work  certain  hours  each  day.  Boys  will 
not  be  allowed  to  use  tobacco. 

"A  course  of  study  has  been  arranged  and  pupils  com- 
pleting the  course  will  be  given  a  diploma,  which  will  admit 
to  any  of  the  higher  schools  under  the  Board. 

E.  G.  Haymaker,  superintendent." 

BOYS'  HALL 

During  this  period  a  Boys'  Hall  was  erected  in  1893,  a 
laundry  and  smokehouse  in  1895.  In  1902  the  school  build- 
ing was  moved  from  the  oak  grove  at  the  railway  to  its  pres- 
ent position  on  the  campus  and  the  height  of  it  increased. 

Most  of  the  pupils  were  boarders  and  most  of  them 
were  girls.  The  girls  were  encouraged  to  learn  to  sew  that 
at  Christmas  they  might  be  the  wearers  of  a  new  calico 
dress  made  with  their  own  hands. 

All  were  required  to  read  the  Bible  and  encouraged  to 
commit  the  shorter  catechism,  the  World's  briefest  and  best 
'commentary  on  the  Bible. 

MR.  AND  MRS.  HAYMAKER 
Rev.  E.  G.  Haymaker  was  a  native  of  Newlonsburg, 
Westmoreland  County,  Pa.  He  graduated  from  Washington 
and  Jefferson  College  in  1885  and  from  the  Western  Theolog- 
ical Seminary  at  Pittsburg,  in  1890.  In  1887  he  was  licensed 
by  the  Presbytery  of  Blairsville,  and  in  1890  was  ordained  by 
the  Presbytery  of  Kittanning.  After  serving  Midway  and 
Union  churches,  Cowansville,  Pa.,  two  years,  on  Oct.  1,  1892, 
he  became  superintendent  of  Oak  Hill  and  continued  until 
the  spring  of  1904,  eleven  and  a  half  years. 

Mrs.  Haymaker,  who  became  matron  of  the  Boys  Hall 
in  1894,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  and  Wilson  Female  College  at  Chambers- 


136  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

burg.  She  was  a  teacher  at  Wheelock  Academy  at  the  time 
of  her  marriage  in  1894. 

During  the  period  of  service  on  the  part  of  these  and 
all  previous  helpers  the  necessaries  of  life  had  to  be  hauled 
long  distances.  The  daily  supply  of  water  had  to  be  hauled 
one  and  a  half  miles.  The  nearest  post  office  most  of  the 
time  was  at  Wheelock,  ten  miles  east.  Previous  to  1902, 
when  Valliant  was  founded  the  nearest  trading  stations 
were  Paris  and  Clarksville,  Texas,  and  from  1889  to  1903 
Goodland,  twenty-eight  miles  west.  All  the  surfaced  lum- 
ber in  the  Girls'  and  Boys'  Halls,  built  in  1889  and  1894 
had  to  be  hauled  from  Paris. 

Travel  over  the  rough  crooked  trails  and  unbridged 
streams  in  the  timber,  whilst  not  unhealthf  ul  in  good  weath- 
er, was  always  a  slow,  tedious  experience,  rather  than  a 
source  of  pleasure.  To  live  at  Oak  Hill  meant  to  enjoy  a 
quiet  secluded  home,  so  far  removed  from  the  currents  of 
the  world's  activity,  as  to  be  almost  unaffected  by  them. 

Mrs.  McBride  continued  to  serve  as  matron  until  1899, 
a  period  of  ten  years.  The  school  had  then  a  history  of  13 
years.  On  reviewing  the  signs  of  improvement  and  pro- 
gress among  the  colored  people  that  might  be  attributed  to 
the  good  influence  of  the  Oak  Hill  school,  she  wrote  as  fol- 
lows: 

"The  community  has  greatly  changed  since  this  school 
was  established.  When  Mr.  McBride  and  I  went  to  the  field 
murders  were  common  in  the  neighborhood  of  Oak  Hill,  but 
they  are  rare  now.  The  people  are  now  improving  their 
places,  cultivating  more  land,  planting  orchards  and  build- 
ing board  houses,  having  several  rooms.  They  have  more 
stock  than  formerly  and  their  outlook  seems  hopeful;  but 
alas!  their  religious  life  is  sadly  neglected.  One  half  the 
pupils  are  from  Presbyterian  families,  and  those  who  come 
from  other  denominations  learn  to  love  our  church,  its  doc- 
trines and  form  of  worship." 


ERA  OF  REV.  EDWARD  G.   HAYMAKER      137 

Parson  Stewart  of  Doaksville,  who  had  been  the  faith- 
ful pastor  of  the  Oak  Hill  church  from  the  time  it  was 
founded  in  1869,  continued  to  serve  it  once  a  month  until 
the  spring  of  1893,  a  period  of  24  years.  He  was  then  at 
the  age  of  70  honorably  retired  from  the  active  ministry, 
and  the  superintendent  of  the  academy,  became  his  suc- 
cessor in  the  pastorate  of  the  Oak  Hill  church. 

OTHER  HELPERS. 

The  other  assistants,  during  the  period  Mr.  Haymaker 
was  superintendent  were  as  follows : 

Principals :  Anna  T.  Hunter,  1895  to  1901 ;  Sadie  Shaw, 
1898-9 ;  Carrie  E.  Crowe,  1901  to  1903 ;  Verne  Gossard,  1903 
to  1904. 

Assistant  Teachers :  Mattie  Hunter,  1895  to  1901 ;  Mrs. 
Mary  Scott,  1901-1903;  Jessie  Fisher,  1903  to  1904;  Rilla 
Fields,  1892  to  1895 ;  Howard  McBride,  1892-93. 

Assistants  in  the  Cooking  Department:  Mary  Gordon, 
1894-5;  Fannie  Green  (Col.),  Josephine  McAfee  (Col.),  Sadie 
Shaw,  1897,  Lou  K.  Early,  Josie  Jones,  Lilly  E.  Lee,  Mrs. 
Martha  Folsom  (Col.),  1902-3,  and  Mrs.  Emma  Burrows, 
1903-4. 

Matrons:  Mrs.  M.  E.  Crowe,  1899-1903;  Carrie  Craig, 
1903-04. 

ANNA  F.  and  MATTIE  HUNTER 
of  Huntsville,  Ohio,    were    educated,    Mattie  in  Indianap- 
olis and  State  Normal  at  Terra  Haute,  Indiana,  and  Anna  in 
similar  schools  in  Ohio. 

Anna  taught  at  Wheelock,  I.  T.,  from  1885  to  1890,  un- 
der the  Home  Mission  Board,  and  then  three  years  under 
the  Freedmen's  Board  at  Atoka.  In  1895  she  became  a 
teacher  at  Oak  Hill  and,  serving  one  year  as  an  assistant, 


138  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

served  four  years  as  principal  1896  to  1901,  being  absent 
in  1898. 

Mattie  was  an  assistant  at  Oak  Hill  from  1896  to  1901, 
having  previously  taught  at  Wheelock  two  years,  1889  to 
1891. 

The  work  of  these  sisters  at  Oak  Hill  was  greatly  ap- 
preciated. A  number  of  the  views  of  the  early  days,  that 
appear  in  this  volume  are  due  to  their  thoughtfulness,  and 
skill  in  the  use  of  a  Kodak. 

MRS.  M.  E.  CROWE. 

Mrs.  M.  E.  (Rev.  James  B.)  Crowe  in  1899  became  the 

successor  of  Mrs.  McBride  as  matron  of  the  Girls'  Hall 

and  continued  until  the  spring  of  1903.     It  seemed  to  her 

like  the  dawning  of  a  new  era  in  the  life  of  a  Choctaw  Negro 

girl,  when  she  entered  a  Christian  training  school  like  Oak 

Hill.     After  an  opportunity  for  observation  she  wrote  as 

follows : 

"It  gives  us  no  small  satisfaction  to  see  the  rapid  im- 
provement during  the  first  year  on  the  part  of  those  who 
come  to  our  school.  It  is  very  gratifying  to  witness  the  sur- 
prise of  their  parents,  when  they  return  after  the  lapse  of 
a  few  months.  This  work  may  seem  small  when  compared 
with  the  great  South;  but  these  Choctaw  Negroes  are  ours 
now  to  mould  as  we  will.  The  time  is  near  when  this  coun- 
try will  be  thrown  open  to  white  settlers ;  the  hordes, — both 
white  and  black — will  then  pour  into  this  section  and  our 
opportunity  will  be  gone  if  we  do  not  seize  it  now.  We  have 
had  this  year  the  clearest  evidence  of  God's  approval  of 
this  work.  Oak  Hill  needs  much  in  the  way  of  facilities. 
We  are  thankful  for  every  word  of  sympathy  and  the  help 
received  this  year  from  societies  and  friends.  I  would  like 
to  speak  of  individual  pupils;  of  the  transformation  we  see 
going  on  in  their  characters,  and  also  of  their  efforts  to 
profit  by  the  instruction  given." 

Rev.  James  B.  Crowe,  in  1887  had  charge  of  the  Presby- 
terian church  of  Remington,  Indiana.    In  1890  he  was  ap- 


ERA  OF  REV.  EDWARD  G.  HAYMAKER   139 

pointed  by  the  Freedmen's  Board  to  serve  the  colored  people 
at  Caddo  and  Atoka.  Anna  and  Mattie  Hunter  were  then 
teaching  at  Atoka,  and  Mrs.  Crowe  became  a  teacher  at 
Caddo.  In  1893  her  health  failed  and,  returning  to  the  North 
he  died  soon  afterward.  Later  Mrs.  Crowe  became  matron 
at  Oak  Hill.  She  is  now  living  at  Hartford,  South  Dakota. 
PRAYING  FOR  WATER 
"The  Lord  is  my  Shepherd,  I  shall  not  want." 

When  Oak  Hill  became  a  boarding  school  and  a  heavy 
draft  was  made  on  the  old  well,  that  at  the  first  had  at- 
tracted the  school  there,  it  "went  dry."  After  this  unex- 
pected occurrence  it  never  furnished  an  adequate  supply  of 
water  for  the  school  and  stock.  During  all  of  the  90's  great 
inconvenience  was  experienced  in  securing  and  keeping  on 
hand  an  adequate  supply  during  term  time.  When  the  sup- 
ply was  exhausted  the  work  in  the  laundry  and  kitchen  had 
to  stop,  until  a  new  supply  was  obtained. 

The  nearest  sources  of  supply,  during  this  "lack  of 
water"  period,  were  Clear  Creek  and  a  large  spring  near  it, 
both  one  and  a  half  miles  distant.  At  first  two  barrels  were 
used  to  haul  water  and  the  team  had  to  make  daily  trips 
during  term  time.  Later  a  long  water  tank,  that  held  a 
wagon  load,  was  substituted  for  the  barrels.  Hauling  water 
in  barrels  kept  two  boys  out  of  school  a  considerable  part 
of  their  time.  They  did  not  seem  to  care,  yet  the  feeling 
prevailed  that  it  was  not  right. 

In  the  fall  of  1899  when  Mrs.  M.  E.  Crowe  became  ma- 
tron, the  lack  of  water  was  so  distressing  it  was  made  the 
subject  of  prayer.  Mrs.  F.  D.  Palmer,  a  secretary  of  the 
Board  visited  the  school  at  this  period  and  after  an  address, 
the  question  was  asked,  "How  many  will  join  in  prayer  for 
water  to  be  given  Oak  Hill?"     Quite  a  number  responded 


140  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

and,  at  the  ringing  of  the  retiring  bell,  a  circle  of  prayer 
would  form  in  the  girls'  sitting  room  and  sentence  prayers 
were  offered  for  that  one  object. 

About  three  weeks  later,  Mrs.  Palmer  met  the  women 
of  the  First  Presbyterian  church,  Wilkinsburg,  Pa.,  and, 
among  other  needs  of  the  schools  visited,  referred  to  the 
urgent  need  for  water  and  a  cook  stove  with  a  large  oven  at 
Oak  Hill.  At  the  close  of  her  address  an  elderly  lady,  Mrs. 
Rebecca  S.  Campbell,  arose  in  the  back  part  of  the  room  and 
said,  "My  sister-in-law,  Anna  E.  Campbell,  taught  in  that 
school  some  years  ago;  and  I  will  give  one  hundred  dollars 
for  a  good  well  and  wind  wheel  for  it,  that  it  may  be  a  use- 
ful and  worthy  memorial  of  a  dear  son,  Frank  Campbell, 
who  died  at  thirty  in  1900,  and  of  Annie's  work  in  1888." 

The  Endeavor  society  added  fifty  dollars  for  a  large 
cook  stove  that  would  serve  as  an  oven. 

In  this  reminiscence,  the  faithful  teacher,  the  circle  of 
prayer,  the  visit  of  the  secretary,  the  address,  and  the  pres- 
ence at  the  meeting  of  a  woman  with  a  responsive  heart  and 
offering,  seemed  links  in  a  chain  of  providential  circum- 
stances, that  made  those  who  were  interested  feel  sure  the 
school  at  Oak  Hill  was  "precious  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord." 
Their  prayer  for  water  had  been  heard  and  the  answer  was 
assured. 

In  1903  this  difficulty  was  overcome  by  placing  an  aer- 
moter  over  the  well,  sunk  the  previous  year,  to  do  the  pump- 
ing for  the  stock.  The  stock  then  enjoyed  the  free  range 
of  the  timber  and  consisted  of  considerable  herds  of  cattle 
and  hogs. 


ERA  OF  REV.  EDWARD  G.  HAYMAKER       141 

APPEAL  FOR  HOSPITAL 
"Ask  and  it  shall  be  given  you." 

In  the  early  spring  of  1903,  writes  Mrs.  M.  E.  Crowe, 
matron,  one  of  the  girls  became  ill  and  feared  she  was  go- 
ing to  die.  A  special  bed  was  made  for  her  in  my  own  sit- 
ting room. 

After  her  recovery  Mrs.  Crowe  wrote  Mrs.  Mary  0. 
Becker,  Mexico,  N.  Y.,  a  personal  stranger  but  previous  con- 
tributor to  the  school,  soliciting  her  aid  to  provide  a  hospital 
or  separate  room  for  the  care  of  sick  girls. 

A  favorable  response  was  received.  A  partition  was 
removed  to  make  a  long  room  and  provide  for  a  stove.  Soon 
afterwards  there  was  received  from  the  Women's  Mission- 
ary Society  represented  by  Mrs,  Becker,  three  single  beds, 
bedding,  gowns,  slippers,  sponges,  water-bottles  and  all  the 
other  articles  necessary  for  the  complete  equipment  of  a 
sick  room,  including  three  changes  of  clothing  for  the  sick. 

The  promptness  of  this  response  and  the  generosity 
of  the  donation,  awakened  feelings  of  heartfelt  gratitude, 
on  the  part  of  the  recipients. 

A  few  years  afterwards  Mrs.  Crowe  related  this  in- 
cident to  a  group  of  ladies  at  Mitchell,  South  Dakota,  stand- 
ing in  the  recess  of  a  bay  window. 

The  pastor  of  the  church,  now  an  evangelist,  was  busy 
in  an  adjoining  room,  separated  only  by  a  curtain.  The  re*- 
ference  to  Mrs.  Becker  attracted  his  attention.  At  the  close 
of  her  remarks  he  entered  the  room  and  stepping  to  the 
window,  pointed  to  some  pictures  and  said: 

"These  pictures  at  your  side  are  of  Mrs.  Becker's  home 
and  son.  She  helped  me  to  get  an  education.  That  may  not 
have  meant  much  to  others  but  it  meant  a  great  deal  to  me. 
It  was  a  fulfilment  of  the  promise. 

"I  will  guide  thee  with  mine  eye." 


142  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Mrs.  Crowe  further  states,  "Many  that  were  under  my 
care  became  christians  and  I  know  that  many  of  them  are 
now  doing  great  good. 

"One,  when  leaving  for  home  at  the  close  of  the  term, 
remarked,  "All  things  are  going  to  be  different  with  me  at 
home,  but  I'm  goin'  to  try  to  live  a  christian." 

"They  need  to  be  taught  how  to  live  as  well  as  to  die ;  So 
many  have  died.     They  are  not  careful  of  their  feet. 

"They  are  unable  to  get  good  books  at  reasonble 
prices,  and  the  shoddy  stuff  they  do  read  only  tends  to  make 
them  dreamy  and  careless." 

CARRIE  E.  CROWE. 

Carrie  E.  Crowe,  principal  teacher  at  Oak  Hill  1901  to 
1903,  and  again  in  1905,  is  one  to  be  remembered  as  having 
devoted  her  best  years  and  noblest  gifts  to  the  educational 
work  among  the  Freedmen.  It  was  during  the  early  80's 
and  through  the  influence  of  her  cousin  Mrs.  R.  H.  Allen, 
D.  D.,  whose  husband  was  then  in  the  beginning  of  his  work 
as  secretary  of  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Missions  for 
Freedmen,  she  was  led  to  consecrate  herself  to  this  greatly 
needed  work. 

Her  first  commission  was  as  leading  teacher  in  Scotia 
Seminary,  Concord,  North  Carolina.  During  one  of  the  va- 
cations while  here,  she  and  Miss  D.  J.  Barber  developed  a 
new  school  at  Hendersonville,  North  Carolina  that  was  con- 
tinued a  number  of  years  under  the  care  of  our  Freedmen's 
Board  and  the  personal  direction  of  Sadia  L.  Carson. 

During  another  vacation  she  devoloped  a  school  at 
Nebo,  Marion  county,  N.  C.  This  school  came  to  be  known 
as  the  Boston  Mission.  While  she  was  caring  for  it,  her 
father,  who  was  a  Colporteur  of  the  American  Tract  Society, 
and  her  mother  came  and  made  their  home  with  her.  The 
maintenance  of  this  school  was  not  pleasing  to  all  the  people 
of  that  community;  and  when  a  total  abstinence  organiza- 


■ 


ERA  OF  REV.  EDWARD  G.  HAYMAKER         143 

tion  was  effected  and  some  regarded  it  as  a  menace  to  the 
local  illicit  manufacture  of  intoxicating  liquors,  the  ill  feel- 
ing was  manifested  by  the  complete  destruction  and  loss  of 
their  home.  Her  parents  were  so  distressed  over  this  de- 
structive work  of  the  "white  caps"  and  the  seriousness  of 
the  loss  sustained  that  both  died  a  few  months  later  at 
Durham,  N.  C. 

After  the  experience  of  these  great  trials  that  came  in 
quick  succession,  she  was  requested  to  open  a  day  and  Sun- 
day school  and  visiting  Mission,  among  the  operatives  of 
the  Pearl  Cotton  Mills  at  Durham.  When  failing  health 
made  it  necessary  to  relinquish  this  work,  it  was  extended  to 
the  other  mills  at  that  place  and  continued  by  the  women  of 
the  Southern  Presbyterian  church,  at  whose  request  this 
work  had  been  originally  undertaken. 

On  resuming  work  under  our  Freedmen's  Board  the 
first  year  was  spent  at  Nottoway,  near  Burkeville,  Nottoway 
county,  Virginia. 

The  next  year,  1897,  the  Mary  Holmes  Seminary,  des- 
troyed by  fire  at  Jackson  Jan.  1,  1895,  was  rebuilt  and  re- 
opened at  West  Point,  Miss.,  by  Rev.  Henry  N.  Payne,  D.  D. 
and  she  became  the  principal  teacher  in  that  institution.  On 
March  6,  1899,  their  principal  building  was  again  destroyed 
by  fire.  After  three  years  of  faithful  service  and  another 
sad  experience  that  tended  to  impair  her  health,  she  be- 
came in  1901  principal  at  Oak  Hill  Academy,  Indian  Terri- 
tory, but  after  two  years,  by  special  request,  returned  and 
resumed  her  former  position  as  leading  teacher  at  West 
Point,  taking  with  her  two  pupils  from  Oak  Hill,  Lizzie 
Watt  and  Iserina  Folsom. 

In  the  fall  of  1905  she  returned  to  Oak  Hill  Academy 
and  remained  until  the  month  of  February  following,  when 


144  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

she  was  called  to  the  bedside  of  the  late  Mary  Holmes  at 
Rockford,  Illinois. 

Her  work  since  that  date  has  been  limited  to  more 
healthful  localities,  namely  Gunnison,  Utah,  and  the  Spanish 
Mission  in  Los  Angeles,  California.  At  both  of  these  places 
she  served  under  commissions  issued  by  our  Board  of  Home 
Missions. 

She  is  now  enjoying  the  rest  of  a  quiet  and  frugal  life 
in  retirement  at  Escanto,  California,  within  easy  distance 
of  a  brother  and  wife,  whose  kindness  is  constant,  and  hav- 
ing as  a  companion,  a  friend,  who  is  as  a  sister  in  their  mod- 
est home. 

Her  last  teaching  among  the  Freedmen  was  at  Oak  Hill 
Academy  and  she  seemed  to  have  a  special  interest  in  the 
young  people  of  that  section.  This  interest  was  awakened 
by  the  fact  that  during  her  first  term  of  service  at  West 
Point  several  girls  were  sent  there  from  the  vicinity  of  Oak 
Hill,  which  was  then  represented  as  a  new  country,  without 
previous  educational  and  good  church  privileges. 

She  had  the  earnest  desire  to  follow  these  girls  when 
they  returned  to  their  home  communities  to  see  to  what  ex- 
tent their  christian  training  at  West  Point  would  tend  to 
elevate  and  ennoble  their  own  lives  and  through  them  the 
lives  of  others. 

This  is  the  desire  of  every  friend  of  Christian  educa- 
tion. It  cannot  be  given  too  great  emphasis.  Pupils  that 
give  assurance  they  will  "make  good"  find  that  there  are 
friends  somewhere,  when  their  need  is  known,  ready  to 
"help  them  to  help  themselves."  It  ought  to  be  a  source 
of  constant  and  life-long  encouragement  to  every  pupil, 
specially  aided  by  friends  in  any  of  our  christian  educational 


ERA  OF  REV.  EDWARD  G.  HAYMAKER       145 

institutions,  to  know  that  the  personal  interest  of  their 
teachers  and  friends  follows  them  through  life  to  see  and 
know,  that  they  have  profited  by  their  youthful  christian 
training.  They  are  expected  to  be  teachers  and  leaders  in 
thought  and  action  in  their  respective  communities. 


XVII 

BUDS  OF  PROMISE 

1884  to  1904. 
FAVORED  YOUTHFUL  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN. 

"And  Hannah  took  Samuel  to  the  Temple  of  the  Lord 
and  said  to  Eli,  the  priest;  I  have  lent  him  to  the  Lord  as 
long  as  he  liveth." 

;HE  object  of  this  chapter  is  to  note  the 
names  and  careers  of  a  number  of  the  young 
people  that  during  the  early  days,  were  sent 
or  encouraged  to  attend  other  educational 
institutions.  As  early  as  1884,  two  years 
before  Miss  Hartford  came  to  Oak  Hill,  Rev.  Alexander 
Reid,  of  Atoka  took  the  lead  in  arranging  for  two 
young  men  to  go  to  Biddle  University,  Charlotte,  North 
Carolina,  and  five  young  ladies  to  Scotia  Seminary,  at  Con- 
cord, North  Carolina.  Later  the  teachers  at  Oak  Hill  aided 
and  encouraged  others  to  attend  these  and  other  christian 
institutions  of  learning  established  elsewhere  by  our  Freed- 
men's  Board.  The  present  is  an  opportune  time  for  noting 
the  results,  in  the  way  of  increased  happiness  and  added 
usefulness  to  these  young  people  by  one  or  more  years  of 
special  training  in  youth. 

In  1884  Richard  D.  Colbert  of  the  Beaver  Dam  church 
was  sent  to  the  preparatory  school  at  Biddle  University  and 
remained  till  June  1887.  After  his  return  he  taught  school 
eleven  years.  He  was  then  licensed  by  the  Presbytery,  and 
has  been  preaching  the  gospel  ever  since  that  time. 

(146) 


BUDS  OF  PROMISE  147 

In  1884  Henry  Williams  of  Doaksville,  (Fort  Towson) 
was  sent  to  Biddle  University  and  remained  three  years. 
On  his  return  he  became  a  teacher  of  public  school  and  in 
1892  married  Annie  Ball. 

In  1884  Celestine  Hodges  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Charlotte  Hodges,  Wheelock,  was  sent  to  Scotia  Seminary 
and  remained  four  years.  On  her  return  in  1888,  she  became 
a  teacher  and  has  been  teaching  most  of  the  time  since,  serv- 
ing the  first  two  years  as  an  assistant  at  Oak  Hill. 

She  became  custodian  of  the  buildings,  after  the  depart- 
ure of  Miss  Hartford,  and  was  teaching  the  Oak  Hill  school, 
when  Mr.  McBride  arrived  a  month  or  so  after  its  opening. 
Two  years  later  she  founded  a  school  and  Sunday  school 
along  Sandy  Branch,  that  a  few  years  later  developed  into 
the  church,  that  bears  that  name.  She  is  now  located  upon 
and  improving  her  own  farm  southwest  of  Antlers. 

In  1884  Susan  Homer,  daughter  of  Wiley  Homer,  Grant, 
was  sent  to  Scotia  Seminary  and  remained  two  years.  On 
her  return  she  served  as  a  teacher  until  she  married  Albert 
Brown.  She  is  now  a  widow,  occupying  and  improving  her 
own  farm,  near  Grant. 

In  1884  Marie  Jones  and  her  sister  Fannie  Jones,  daugh- 
ters of  the  late  Caroline  Prince  (1911),  and  Virginia  Shoals, 
daughter  of  J.  Ross  and  Harriet  Shoals,  all  from  the  Oak 
Hill  church,  were  sent  to  Scotia  Seminary. 

Marie  Jones  of  ter  spending  some  time  at  school  engaged 
in  teaching  and  later  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Sands,  a 
Methodist  minister,  now  located  at  Kingston,  New  York. 

Fannie  Jones  remained  at  Concord,  going  to  school 
and  working  in  the  city  until  1898,  when  she  located  at  St. 
Louis,  where  she  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  McNair,  and  taught 


148  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

school  a  number  of  years.  She  is  now  occupying  the  old 
home  near  Oak  Hill. 

Virginia  Shoals,  now  Mrs.  Perry,  returned  in  1901, 
She  has  taught  school  several  years  and  is  now  living  on 
her  own  allotment  of  land  near  Red  River,  where  she  has 
founded  and  is  endeavoring  to  maintain  a  christian  home. 

Mary  Homer  (B.  1873)  a  daughter  of  Wiley  Homer, 
Grant,  after  completing  a  course  at  Oak  Hill  attended  a 
Choctaw  government  school,  1890  to  1894.  She  engaged  in 
teaching  until  her  marriage  to  Martin  Shoals.  She  is  now 
improving  her  own  farm  and  educating  her  children  at  Oak 
Hill. 

Hattie  Homer  (B.  1876),  a  sister  of  Mary,  after  attend- 
ing a  Choctaw  government  school  at  Grant  1890  to  1894 
and  completing  a  course  at  Oak  Hill,  taught  school  until  she 
became  the  wife  of  Nick  Colbert,  an  elder  of  the  Beaver 
Dam  church,  after  his  decease  she  married  Bud  Lewis  and 
is  now  occupying  and  improving  her  own  farm. 

Harriet  Stewart  (B.1873),  and  Fidelia  Perkins,  daugh- 
ter and  step-daughter  of  Parson  Stewart,  in  1892  were 
taken  by  Mrs.  Emma  F.  McBride,  matron,  to  the  Mary 
Allen  Seminary  at  Crockett,  Texas.  They  remained  until 
Harriet  was  promoted  to  the  senior  and  Fidelia  to  the  junior 
class.    Both  of  them  engaged  in  teaching. 

Harriet  Stewart  after  teaching  a  few  years  in 
1898  became  the  wife  of  Rev.  Pugh  A.  Edwards,  a  min- 
ister of  the  A.  M.  E.  church  and  is  now  occupying  and  im- 
proving her  own  farm  near  Hugo. 

Fidelia  in  1900  married  Thomas  H.  Murchison,  and  lo- 
cated at  Garvin,  where  she  and  her  husband  have  taken  a 
very  active  part  in  promoting  the  work  of  the  Presbyterian 
church.    She  served  as  one  of  the  first  superintendents  of  the 


Rev.  Wiley  Homer. 


Rev.  William  Butler. 


Rev.  and  Harriet  Stewart 
Edwards. 


Rev.  and  Maria  Jones 
Sands. 


Favored  Young  Choctaw  Freedmen, 


BUDS  OF  PROMISE  149 

Sunday  school  and  he  as  an  elder.  She  is  now  serving  her 
sixth  year  as  teacher  of  the  public  school  at  Millerton.  She 
is  a  good  penman,  an  acceptable  teacher  and  is  making  a 
record  of  commendable  usefulness. 

Martha  Jones,  a  daughter  of  Caroline  Prince,  and 
Nannie  Harris  a  daughter  of  Charles  B.  Harris,  in  1893, 
were  sent  to  Crockett,  Texas. 

Nannie  Harris  contracted  consumption  and  died  the 
next  year  after  returning  from  the  school,  and  Martha  Jones 
going  with  one  of  her  teachers,  located  at  Frankfort,  Ken- 
tucky. 

Johnson  Shoals,  son  of  J.  Ross  and  Hattie,  was  an  early 
pupil  at  Oak  Hill,  and  an  assistant  teacher  at  that  institution 
during  the  last  term,  1912-1913.  He  has  enjoyed  a  four 
years'  course  of  study  at  Tuskeegee,  and  four  years  at  the 
Iowa  State  Agricultural  college,  Ames,  Iowa.  During  the 
last  four  years  he  has  been  working  on  the  old  home  farm 
during  the  summer  and  teaching  school  during  the  winter, 
which  is  an  ideal  plan  for  the  average  young  man  to  pursue 
in  early  life. 

Malinda  A.  Hall  in  1900,  after  completing  the  grammar 
course  at  Oak  Hill  Academy,  was  sent  by  Mrs.  Edward  G. 
Haymaker  to  Ingleside  Seminary  at  Burkeville,  Virginia, 
where  she  graduated  in  1904.  She  has  taught  public  school 
one  or  more  years.  Commencing  in  February  1905  she 
rendered  five  years  of  faithful  and  efficient  service  as  teach- 
er of  domestic  science  and  superintendent  of  the  christian 
Endeavor  society  at  Oak  Hill  Academy.  In  1911  she  became 
the  wife  of  William  Stewart  and  they  are  now  improving 
their  own  new  farm  home  south  of  Valliant. 

Edward  D.  Jones,  a  class  mate  of  Malinda  Hall  and 
native  of  Bluff,  Okla.,  after  completing  the  grammar  course 


150  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

in  1900,  graduated  from  Jackson  college,  Jackson,  Miss,,  five 
years  later,  and  in  1909  from  the  Medical  school  at  Raleigh, 
N.  C.  He  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine 
in  his  native  state  and  is  now  located  at  Nowata,  where  he 
has  acquired  an  extensive  and  lucrative  patronage. 

In  1903  when  Carrie  E.  Crowe  returned  to  Mary  Holmes 
Seminary  at  West  Point,  Miss.,  she  was  instrumental  in 
having  Lizzie  Watt  and  Iserina  Folsom,  both  Oak  Hill  pupils, 
follow  her  to  that  institution. 

Lizzie  Watt  was  from  Arkansas.  Going  with  her  mis- 
tress to  spend  some  time  at  Winona  Lake,  Ind.,  she  there 
met  Mrs.  M.  E.  Crowe,  matron  at  Oak  Hill.  So  great  was 
the  interest  awakened  she  became  a  pupil  at  Oak  Hill  that 
fall,  and  remained  until  she  was  encouraged  to  go  to  the 
Mary  Holmes  Seminary.  When  last  heard  from,  through 
the  head  of  that  institution,  she  was  teaching  and  doing 
well. 

Iserina  Folsom,  daughter  of  Moses  and  Martha  Folsom, 
after  her  return  from  West  Point  in  1905,  married  Amos 
Ward,  a  farmer,  and  lives  at  Grant. 

Samuel  A.  Folsom  of  the  Forest  church,  and  early  pupil 
at  Oak  Hill,  in  1903-5  spent  two  years  at  Biddle  Univer- 
sity. On  his  return  he  taught  one  year  at  Oak  Hill  Acad- 
emy, aided  in  the  erection  of  the  temporary  Boys'  Hall  after 
the  fire  of  Nov.  8.  1908;  and,  serving  as  foreman  of  the 
carpenters,  made  it  possible  for  the  superintendent  to  erect 
Elliott  Hall  in  1910,  by  employing  only  the  labor  of  students 
and  patrons  of  the  academy.  On  becoming  a  member  and 
elder  of  the  Oak  Hill  church,  be  enjoyed  the  privilege  of 
representing  the  Presbytery  in  the  General  Assembly  at 
Denver  in  May,  1909.  Returning  later  in  search  of  health  he 
died  there  at  29,  Jan.  11,  1912. 


BUDS  OF  PROMISE  151 

George  Shoals,  in  1903-05,  spent  two  years  at  Biddle 
University.  Since  his  return  he  married  Redonia  Grier  and 
they  are  now  improving  their  own  farm  near  Grant. 

George  Stewart,  1903-5  spent  two  years  at  Tuskegee. 
In  1910  he  married  Ara  Brown,  an  Oak  Hill  student,  and 
they  are  now  industriously  and  successfully  improving  their 
own  farm  near  the  academy  at  Valliant. 

In  1904,  when  the  Pittsburg  Mission  at  Atoka  was  clos- 
ed, Mrs.  O.  D.  Spade,  one  of  the  teachers,  took  Lucretia  C. 
Brown,  a  pupil  of  eight  years,  to  her  home  at  Bellefontaine, 
Ohio,  and  enabled  her  to  graduate  from  the  Grammar  and 
High  schools  of  that  city  in  1910.  In  1912,  after  rendering 
one  year  of  earnest  and  faithful  service  as  assistant  matron 
at  Oak  Hill  Academy,  she  became  the  wife  of  Everett  Rich- 
ards, one  of  the  older  students  at  Oak  Hill  that  year;  and 
they  are  now  improving  and  enjoying  their  own  farm  home 
near  Lukfata.  When  their  home  was  gladdened  by  the  birth 
of  their  first  born  on  Christmas  night,  1913,  they  named  it, 
Lucian  Elliott,  in  honor  of  Mrs.  Spade,  her  youthful  bene- 
factress. 

Samuel  S.  Bibbs  and  Henry  D.  Prince  in  1904  went  to 
Biddle  University  and  remained  one  year.  Henry,  after  sup- 
porting his  venerable  mother  until  her  decease  in  1911,  is 
now  industriously  engaged  in  improving  his  own  farm  near 
the  academy.  S.  S.  Bibbs  in  1912  married  Fannie  McElvene, 
and  is  now  located  at  Broken  Bow,  where  he  is  making  a 
good  record  in  a  new  section  of  the  country. 

On  March  4,  1906,  James  Stewart  and  Mary  Garland, 
two  previously  promising  Oak  Hill  students,  were  married 
at  the  academy.  They  are  now  industriously  and  earnestly 
developing  a  comfortable  home  on  their  own  farm. 


152  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

These  incidents  relating  to  the  special  education  of  the 
first  young  people  among  the  Choctaw  Freedmen  are  quite 
suggestive  and  interesting. 

These  young  people  may  be  said  to  represent  buds  of 
promise  found  in  the  wilderness,  where  the  wild  flowers 
bloom  that  are  cared  for  only  by  a  Heavenly  Father's  eye. 
They  are  transplanted  for  a  time,  where  they  may  receive 
Bible  instruction,  industrial  training  and  a  foretaste  of  the 
privileges  of  an  enlightened  christian  civilization.  They 
are  then  returned  to  the  wilderness  with  the  Bible  in  hand, 
like  the  Huguenots  and  Pilgrim  Fathers,  when  they  first 
came  to  America,  to  become  the  standard  bearers  of  truth, 
purity  and  industry,  founders  of  prosperous  christian 
homes,  and  intelligent  promoters  of  the  best  interests  of 
their  people. 

Their  education  and  training  was  the  first  intelligent 
effort  to  provide  a  supply  of  competent  native  teachers  and 
preachers  for  the  colored  people  in  the  south  part  of  the 
Choctaw  Nation.  However  humble  their  station  and  limit- 
ed their  attainment,  they  represent  the  first  generation  of 
native  teachers. 

It  was  also  an  effort  to  introduce  into  the  homes  of  the 
people  on  their  return,  correct  ideals  of  an  intelligent  chris- 
tian civilization.  It  was  the  day  of  small  things  and  of 
humble  beginnings. 

It  is  encouraging  to  note  that  in  all  instances  where 
they  remained  long  enough  in  school  to  make  sufficient  pro- 
gress, they  became  teachers  and  Sunday  school  superinten- 
dents on  their  return  to  their  own  neighborhoods.  Some  of 
them  are  still  teaching  and  one  after  teaching  eleven  years 
has  made  a  good  record  as  a  faithful  minister  of  the 
gospel. 


BUDS  OF  PROMISE  153 

Those  that  have  married  have  in  most  instances  be- 
come the  founders  of  prosperous  christian  homes,  and  the 
most  influential  leaders  in  their  several  communities.  By 
their  industry,  frugality  and  piety,  they  are  proving  them- 
selves, in  a  very  commendable  way,  to  be  "the  salt  of  the 
earth  and  the  light  of  the  world,"  among  their  own  people. 

Several  of  them  died  soon  after  their  return  from 
school.  This  is  a  disappointment  that  is  more  deeply  felt  in 
Mission  work  than  elsewhere.  The  proportion  of  short  lives 
in  this  list  is  perhaps  no  greater  than  would  be  found  in 
similar  lists  taken  from  other  sections  of  the  country.  Good 
health  and  the  disposition  to  take  good  care  of  it  are  very 
important  assets,  on  the  part  of  those  who  are  encouraged 
to  take  special  courses  of  training  in  missionary  education- 
al institutions. 

These  incidents  were  rot  without  their  influence  on  the 
mind  of  Alexander  Reid  in  leading  him  to  approve  the  plan 
of  establishing  a  boarding  school  for  the  Freedmen  in  In- 
dian Territory  and  Oak  Hill  as  the  most  needy  and  favorable 
location  for  it.  The  Board  was  maintaining  missions  at 
Muskogee  and  Atoka,  but  those  locations  were  not  then  at- 
tractive. One  of  his  last  acts  in  1885,  his  last  year,  was 
the  purchase  of  the  Old  Log  House  from  Robin  Clark  for 
the  use  of  the  school. 

The  fact  this  emigrat'on  to  distant  schools  continued, 
after  the  establishment  of  Oak  Hill  as  a  boarding  school, 
awakens  a  little  surprise.  Only  a  very  limited  number  of 
them  in  later  years,  remained  at  Oak  Hill  to  complete  the 
Grammar  course.  The  gcod  old  rule  of  local  prosperity 
"Patronize  Home  Industries,"  or  institutions,  seemed  to 
have  been  forgotten.  The  sentiment  began  to  prevail  that 
any  school  abroad  was  better  than  one  at  home.    The  gener- 


154  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

al  prevalence  of  this  sentiment  tended  to  put  a  slight  check 
upon  the  successful  development  of  the  work  at  Oak  Hill. 
It  was  bereft  of  the  presence  and  co-operation  of  its  older 
and  best  trained  pupils,  just  when  their  example  of  self-con- 
trol and  habits  of  study  were  beginning  to  exert  a  good  in- 
fluence over  the  new  ones, 


XVIII 

CLOSED  IN  1904 


In  the  spring  of  1904,  as  there  was  no  one  available  to 
manage  it,  the  school  was  closed,  and  a  student  was  entrust- 
ed with  the  care  of  the  buildings,  stock  and  crops. 

As  this  was  the  year  the  land  in  Indian  Territory  was 
allotted  to  the  Indians  and  their  former  slaves,  individually, 
Mr.  Haymaker  remained  until  he  secured  the  allotment  of 
two  tracts  of  forty  acres  each,  on  which  the  buildings  of  the 
academy  were  located,  one  to  a  graduate  student  and  the 
other  to  a  friendly  full  blood  Choctaw  woman;  with  the 
understanding  that,  when  the  restrictions  should  be  remov- 
ed, the  allottees  or  owners  would  sell  them  to  the  Board  of 
Missions  for  Freedmen,  to  be  held  and  used  as  a  permanent 
site  for  the  institution. 

In  August  Miss  Bertha  L.  Ahrens  of  Grant,  a  mission- 
ary teacher  of  the  Board,  became  the  custodian  of  the  build- 
ings and  other  property  belonging  to  the  institution. 

A  few  days  later,  Soloman  Buchanan,  a  former  student 
from  Texas,  returned  and  making  his  home  there,  began  to 
take  care  of  the  stock  and  crops.  His  general  efficiency, 
manifest  interest  and  good  staying  quality  enabled  him  to 
become  ever  since  a  very  valuable  helper,  during  term  time. 


XIX 

REOPENING  AND  ORGANIZATION 

1905. 

TWO-FOLD  ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  WORKERS.— NEW  FEAT- 
URES.—CHARACTER  BUILDING.— VISIT  OF  MRS.  V.  P. 
BOGGS. 

"Do  all  the  good  you  can, 

By  all  the  means  you  can, 
In  all  the  ways  you  can, 
In  all  the  places  you  can, 

At  all  the  times  you  can, 

To  all  the  people  you  can, 

As  long  as  ever  you  can." — Wesley. 

\^3!(f2i^/nFTER  two  weeks  of  voluntary  service  in  the 
A  yl  vicinity  of  the  Academy,  visiting  churches, 
*~\  vJi  schools,  institutes  and  towns,  making  the 
trips  through  the  timber  with  a  team  of 
faithful  bv  t  superannuated  mules,  and  de- 
livering addresses  in  as  many  as  eight  different  places,  dur- 
ing the  month  preceding,  the  academy  was  reopened  for  a 
three  months  term  in  February,  1905,  under  the  manage- 
ment of  Rev.  and  Mrs.  R.  E.  Flickinger  of  Fonda,  Iowa.  They 
had  for  their  assistants,  Miss  Adelia  M.  Eaton,  Fonda, 
Iowa,  matron,  Miss  Bertha  L.  Ahrens,  principal,  Miss  Malin- 
da  A.  Hall  and  Henry  C.  Shoals,  assistants  in  the  cooking 
and  farming  departments,  and  Solomon  Buchanan,  a  volun- 
teer student  accompanist  and  general  helper. 

TWO  FOLD  ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  WORKERS 

The  moral  and  religious  instruction  was  organized  after 
the  following  manner.    The  Bible  was  supplied  and  read  by 

(155) 


156  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

all  as  a  daily  text  book  in  the  school.  The  lady  principal 
served  as  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school,  and  as  or- 
ganist and  chorister  at  all  the  other  meetings.  The  assist- 
ant superintendent  took  charge  of  the  primary  department 
of  the  Sunday  school,  the  matron,  the  Bible  class;  the  as- 
sistant matron,  the  intermediate  class,  and  the  general  man- 
agement of  the  work  among  the  Christian  Endeavorers,  se- 
lecting and  aiding  the  leaders  in  their  preparation  for  and 
conduct  of  their  meetings  on  Sabbath  evenings,  in  which 
all  the  students  were  required  to  participate.  Mr.  Buchan- 
an served  as  organist  for  the  Sunday  school  and  accompanist 
on  the  piano  at  the  other  meetings. 

The  superintendent,  in  addition  to  attending  and  par- 
ticipating in  the  Sabbath  school  and  Endeavor  meetings, 
which  were  held  on  Sabbath  mornings  and  evenings,  con- 
ducted the  preaching  service  on  Sabbath  morning,  the  Bible 
memory  meetings  at  2:30  on  Sabbath  afternoons  and  the 
mid-week  service,  which  was  held  on  Friday  evenings. 

VOICE  CULTURE. 

The  training  and  development  of  their  youthful  voices, 
for  efficient  participation  by  song  or  story  in  religious  meet- 
ings on  their  return  home,  was  made  a  distinct  aim  and  ob- 
ject at  the  Friday  evening  meetings. 

This  special  vocal  training  was  based  on  the  fact,  that 
in  all  the  recorded  instances  of  the  manifestation  of  divine 
or  spiritual  power,  it  has  been  communicated  through  the 
use  or  instrumentality  of  the  human  voice.  The  annual  re- 
sults, of  this  training  of  their  voices  for  a  sacred  use,  were 
a  very  gratifying  surprise  to  all  the  patrons  of  the  school. 

The  superintendent  also  conducted  the  family  worship 
at  which  all  of  the  students  and  teachers  were  present.  It 
consisted  in  the  daily  reading  of  the  Scriptures  and  prayer 


REOPENING  AND  ORGANIZATION  157 

immediately  at  the  close  of  the  morning  and  evening  meals. 
Twice  a  week  the  young  people  united  in  repeating  a  Psalm 
or  other  appropriate  selection  and  the  Lord's  Prayer. 

He  also  invariably  attended  and  participated  by  a  word 
of  encouragement  in  the  Sunday  school  and  Endeavor  meet- 
ings. 

CHARACTER  BUILDING 

It  was  the  constant  endeavor  of  the  superintendent  to 
make  the  hours  spent  together  on  Sabbath  afternoons  and 
Friday  evenings,  not  only  the  most  instructive  and  profit- 
able of  all  the  week  to  the  students,  in  the  matter  of  their 
character  building,  but  also  the  most  joyous  and  happy  to 
all  of  them.  All  cares  and  troubles  were  forgotten,  while 
repeating  responsively  and  cheerily  together  many  of  the 
most  thrilling  and  comforting  passages  of  the  Bible,  or 
singing  merrily  the  beautiful  hymns,  plantation  melodies, 
sacred  anthems  and  patriotic  glees,  that  enlisted  mutual 
attention  and  interest.  The  joyous  blending  of  their  many 
happy,  youthful  voices,  sometimes  soft  and  low,  then  rising 
and  swelling  with  all  possible  animation  into  full  chorus, 
while  singing  together  the  "Beautiful  Story"  that  "Never 
Grows  Old"  and  "Must  be  Told,"  "Break  Forth  into  Joy," 
"Before  Jehovah's  Throne,"  "Hail  to  the  Flag,"  "Free- 
dom's Banner"  and  similar  familiar  selections,  are  sweet 
and  blessed  treasures  of  the  memory,  that  are  invariably 
recalled  with  pleasure  and  delight. 

NEW  FEATURES 
In  addition  to  the  branches  that  had  been  previously 
taught,  arrangements  were  now  made  for  special  instruc- 
tion in  voice  culture  and  vocal  music,  one  hour  a  week  for  all 
the  pupils ;  and  the  young  men  in  agriculture,  horticulture, 
house-painting,  carpentry  and  masonry. 


158  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

The  aim  of  these  new  departments  was  to  awaken  an 
intelligent  interest  and  make  every  one  familiar  with  the 
principles  that  would  enable  them  to  make 
The  Farm, 

The  Garden, 

The  Orchard, 
The  Dairy, 

The   Cattle, 

The  pigs  and  Poultry, 
all  a  source  of  greatest  profit  to  them  as  owners. 

An  earnest  effort  was  also  made  to  check  the  stream 
of  migration  to  distant  schools,  by  bringing  the  work  at 
Oak  Hill  to  such  a  degree  of  efficiency  as  to  meet  the  real 
needs  of  every  young  person  in  its  vicinity. 

This  was  successfully  accomplished  by  a  voluntary  and 
gratuitous  establishment,  on  the  part  of  the  superintend- 
ent and  principal,  of  Normal  and  Theological  departments, 
that  were  maintained  as  long  as  there  was  any  real  need 
for  them;  the  former  until  the  fall  of  1907,  the  last  year 
under  territorial  rule  preceding  the  establishment  of  county 
normal  institutes;  and  the  latter  in  1910,  when  the  last 
licentiate  was  ordained  to  the  full  work  of  the  gospel  min- 
istry. 

VISIT  OF  MRS.  V.  P.  BOGGS,  SECRETARY 
The  late  Mrs.  V.  P.  Boggs,  secretary  of  the  Women's 
Department  of  the  Freedmen's  Board  was  a  welcome  vis- 
itor in  the  fall  of  1907.    Her  observations  were  afterwards 
summarized  in  a  printed  report  as  follows : 

"Since  the  re-opening  of  Oak  Hill  Academy  in  February 
1905  it  has  had  an  era  of  prosperity  that  promises  perma- 
nency. Many  improvements  have  been  made,  new  buildings 
for  farm  purposes  have  been  erected,  much  of  the  land  has 
been  refenced  and  is  gradually  being  brought  under  a  high- 


REOPENING  AND  ORGANIZATION  159 

er  state  of  cultivation,  and  there  is  a  general  improvement 
in  the  appearance  of  the  entire  premises,  that  reflects  credit 
on  the  management,  as  well  as  upon  the  boys  who  do  the 
work.  The  literary  work  progresses  under  well  trained 
teachers,  and  a  normal  department  has  been  added  that 
teachers  may  be  better  fitted  to  supply  the  schools,  which 
it  is  hoped  will  be  maintained  in  the  south  part  of  the  Ter- 
ritory. The  home  department  is  managed,  to  the  comfort 
and  happiness  of  all  by  the  wife  of  the  superintendent,  who 
'looketh  well  to  the  ways  of  her  household.'  The  matron's 
duties,  which  include  the  general  management  of  all  mat- 
ters relating  to  the  work  in  the  Girls'  Hall,  including  the 
sewing,  laundry  and  kitchen  departments,  are  performed 
with  conscientiousness  and  enthusiasm.  A  former  graduate 
student  is  rendering  very  efficient  service  in  the  cooking 
department." 

"The  property  of  the  Board,  farm  and  buildings,  is  the 
most  attractive  and  prosperous  in  appearance  in  that  region. 
The  location  is  beautiful,  the  buildings  good  for  that  section 
are  well  painted,  the  ground  well  fenced  and  in  good  order. 
Some  good  farm  buildings  have  been  erected  by  the  stu- 
dents and  they  have  painted  other  large  buildings  in  a  very 
workmanlike  manner.  Considerable  land  has  been  re- 
deemed from  a  state  of  wildness.  Thrift  and  order  are  ap- 
parent everywhere  indoors  and  out." — V.  P.  Boggs,  Secre- 
tary Woman's  Department. 

SUCCESSION  OF  HELPERS. 

The  succession  of  helpers  during  the  eight  years,  1905 
to  1912,  inclusive,  when  Rev.  R.  E.  Fiickinger  was  Superin- 
tendent, was  as  follows: 

Assistant  Superintendent:  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Fiickinger, 
Feb.  1,  1905,  to  Aug.  1,  1909. 

Principals:  Miss  Bertha  L.  Ahrens,  Feb.  1,  1905,- 
Feb.  1,  1911,  having  been  previously  custodian  of  the  prem- 
ises from  Aug.  1,  1904;  Mrs.  W.  H.  Carroll,  Feb.  1,  to  May 
27,  1911 ;  Rev.  W.  H.  Carroll,  Oct.  1,  1911,  to  June  13,  1912. 

Matrons:  Adelia  M.  Eaton,  Feb.  1,  1905,  to  June  5, 
1908 ;  Mrs.  John  Claypool,  1908-09 ;  Mary  I.  Weimer,  1909- 
1911;  Jo  Lu  Wolcott,  Feb.  27  to  June  13,  1912. 


160  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Assistant  Teachers:  Carrie  E.  Crowe,  Oct.  1,  1905  to 
Jan.  31,  1906;  Mrs.  Sarah  L.  Wallace,  Feb.  1  to  Mar.  31, 
1906;  Mary  A.  Donaldson,  April  1  to  May  31,  1906;  Rev.  W. 
H.  Carroll,  Oct.  28,  1907,  to  May  28,  1908,  and  Oct.  25,  1909, 
to  Apr.  28,  1910 ;  Samuel  A.  Folsom,  Oct.  26,  1908,  to  May 
28,  1909;  Solomon  H.  Buchanan,  Nov.  15,  1910,  to  1911; 
Mrs.  W.  H.  Carroll,  Oct.  16,  1911,  to  June  13,  1912. 

Assistants  in  the  Cooking  Department  and  Sewing 
Room :  Malinda  A.  Hall,  Feb.  1,  1905,  to  June  30,  1909,  and 
Nov.  15,  1910,  to  June  15,  1911;  Mrs.  Virginia  Wofford, 
1909 ;  Ruby  Moore  and  Ruby  Peete,  1909  to  1910 ;  Lucretia 
C.  Brown,  1911  to  1912;  Ora  Perry,  1912. 

Pianist  and  Librarian:  Solomon  H.  Buchanan,  1905- 
1912,  except  1909. 

Foremen,  Carpenters:  Samuel  A.  Folsom  and  Edward 
Hollingsworth  in  1910. 

Whilst  the  great  need  of  the  colored  people  in  the  South 
is  the  opportunity  for  intellectual,  manual,  moral  and  reli- 
gious training,  to  all  of  which  they  are  readily  responsive 
and  make  encouraging  improvement,  it  remains  a  fact,  that 
the  material  development  of  the  southern  states  depends  in 
a  great  measure  upon  the  general  education  and  intelligence 
of  the  colored  people;  and  that  a  manifestation  of  prejudice 
against  their  general  education  through  public  or  mission 
schools  is  sinful,  impolitic  and  unpatriotic. 

It  is  only  a  few  years  since  the  report  was  made  that  in 
Florida  64.5  per  cent,  in  South  Carolina,  69.5,  and  in  Louis- 
iana, 76.4  per  cent  of  the  children  of  school  age  were  un- 
provided for  with  school  privileges. 

Under  favorable  conditions  it  is  a  delightful  work  to 
supply  a  need  for  which  there  is  so  great  and  urgent  a  de- 


Mrs.  Mary  A.  Flickinger.  Mrs.  John  Claypool. 


Bertha  L.  Ahrens. 


Adelia  M.  Eaton. 


Robert  Elliott  Flickinger. 


REOPENING  AND  ORGANIZATION 


161 


mand,  and  such  manifest  appreciation,  and,  that  means  so 
much  in  promoting  the  intelligence  and  thereby  increasing 
the  happiness  and  prosperity  of  so  many  of  the  common  peo- 
ple, whose  general  education  tends  to  make  our  nation 
greater. 


XX 

THE  PROSPECTUS  IN  1912 

SCHOOL     AND     WORK     PERIODS.— FARM     WORK.— IMPROVE- 
MENT WORK.— SAWING  WOOD  A  PICNIC. 

"Art  and  science  soon  would  fade 

And  commerce  dead  would  fall, 
If  the  farmer  ceased  to  reap  and  sow 

For  the  farmer  feeds  them  all." 

^V^^^^f/uN  1912  the  prospectus  of  the  academy  in- 
W     eluded  the  following  announcements: 

Free  tuition  and  books  are  accorded 
'neighborhood  pupils  under  thirteen,  that  at- 
tend regularly  after  the  time  of  their  enroll- 
ment. Those  over  fourteen  are  expected  to  pay  fifty  cents 
a  month.  The  hope  is  expressed  that  every  one  living  near 
the  Academy  will  see  the  propriety  of  making  the  same 
noble  endeavor  to  enjoy  its  valuable  privileges  for  improve- 
ment that  is  made  by  the  many  patrons  who  live  at  a 
distance. 

An  opportunity  v/ill  be  afforded  a  limited  number  of 
both  boys  and  girls  over  fourteen  years  to  work  out  their 
term  expenditures,  with  the  exception  of  $5.00  which  must 
be  paid  at  the  time  of  enrollment.  This  opportunity  to 
work  one's  own  way  through  school  is  given  to  two  boys  and 
two  girls  during  the  term  at  one  time  and  to  others  during 
the  vacation  period. 

After  spending  six  and  one-half  or  seven  hours  at  study 
in  the  class  room,  three  hours,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  after- 

(162) 


THE  PROSPECTUS  IN  1912  163 

noon  of  each  day,  are  devoted  to  industrial  training  and 
work  on  the  farm,  in  the  shop,  kitchen,  laundry  or  sewing 
room.  All  work  during  this  period  is  required  to  be  done  by 
the  rule,  which  is  first  stated  at  the  time  of  assignment, 
and  afterwards  illustrated  during  the  hours  of  work ;  and  the 
student  is  required  to  work  as  silently,  thoughtfully  and 
earnestly  as  during  the  hours  previously  devoted  to  study. 

Parents  are  requested  to  note  that  girls  are  not  allowed 
to  wear  white  waists,  skirts  or  dresses,  except  at  the  time 
of  commencement  and  that  each  student  must  supply  their 
own  toilet  soap,  combs  and  shoe  polish. 

The  Bible  is  a  required  text  book  and  every  student  is 
expected  to  commit  an  average  of  one  verse  and  read  one 
chapter  each  day  during  the  term.  The  passages  committed 
to  memory  are  recited  in  concert  to  the  superintendent  at 
the  Bible  Memory  Service  held  every  Sabbath  afternoon. 

The  actual  cost  of  carrying  a  boarding  student  through 
the  term  is  about  $50.00.  Every  student  that  pays  $28.00 
or  does  extra  work  to  that  amount  enjoys  a  scholarship  of 
equal  amount  contributed  by  the  many  friends  who  are  sup- 
porting the  institution.  Under  this  arrangement  the  stu- 
dent that  does  most  to  help  himself  receives  most  from  the 
friends  who  are  ready  to  co-operate  with  him.  The  doors 
of  the  Academy  are  thus  open  to  the  penniless  and  homeless 
boy  or  girl,  if  they  have  a  desire  to  be  useful  and  are  willing 
to  work ;  but  young  people  who  lack  funds  and  at  the  same 
time  are  unwilling  to  do  extra  work  to  cover  the  first  half  of 
their  expenses,  are  not  regarded  as  either  promising  or  de- 
sirable. 

Since  one  half  the  cost  of  carrying  boarding  students  at 
the  Academy  has  to  be  provided  for  by  the  generous  offer- 
ings of  friends,  who  are  interested  in  their  temporal,  moral 


164  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

and  spiritual  welfare,  every  student  is  expected  to  show  his 
appreciation  of  this  fact,  by  being  always  thoughtful  and 
earnest,  during  all  the  hours  set  apart  each  day  for  study 
and  work.  Only  those  who  learn  quickly  how  to  be  silent, 
thoughtful  and  earnest  workers,  make  that  improvement  in 
study  and  work  which  forms  the  chief  element  in  the  re- 
ward of  teachers  and  friends. 

The  student  that  makes  the  most  encouraging  progress 
is  the  one  that  enters  at  the  beginning  of  the  term  and  con- 
tinues to  attend  and  work  faithfully  until  the  end  of  it. 

The  annual  report  of  the  superintendent  of  Indian  Ter- 
ritory for  the  year  1907  shows  that  at  the  Indian  Orphan 
School  at  Wheelock,  eight  miles  east  of  Oak  Hill,  the  cost  of 
carrying  each  pupil  a  term  of  nine  months  was  $155.17,  or  an 
average  of  $17.05  a  month.  A  comparison  of  these  figures 
with  the  cost  at-  that  time  at  Oak  Hill,  $25.00  a  term  of 
seven  months,  or  $3.60  a  month,  it  is  easy  to  see  that  the 
economy  practiced  in  a  mission  school  is  much  greater  than 
in  one  under  government  control. 

SCHOOL  AND  WORK  PERIODS 
Provision  is  made  for  eight  hours  of  school  work  on  the 
part  of  the  teachers,  the  first  five  days  of  every  week  of  the 
term,  and  one  hour  on  Saturday  evening.  These  are  daily 
enjoyed  by  all  the  smaller  pupils.  But  all  over  fourteen 
years,  after  enjoying  6V->  hours  in  the  school  room,  are  ex- 
pected to  work  three  hours  each  day  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  afternoon,  and  on  Saturdays  until  2:30  p.  m. 

The  two  leading  objects  that  are  attained  by  this  ar- 
rangement are,  the  opportunity  to  give  and  receive  practical 
instruction  in  the  rules,  or  best  methods  of  doing  every  part 
of  the  work  in  the  home  or  on  an  improved  farm ;  and  enable 
those  for  whose  benefit  the  institution  has  been  established, 


THE  PROSPECTUS  IN  1912  165 

to  perform  the  work  that  is  necessary  to  be  done  for  the 
daily  comfort  of  the  students  during  term  time,  and  the 
successful  and  economical  management  of  the  farm  which 
now  contains  270  acres,  of  which  140  acres  are  enclosed  and 
100  are  under  cultivation. 

THE  WOOD  SUPPLY 

The  sawing  and  splitting  of  the  wood  at  the  two  wood- 
piles, to  meet  the  daily  demands  of  the  many  and  large 
stoves,  that  have  to  be  kept  constantly  running,  is  the  reg- 
ular morning  and  evening  chore  of  those  of  the  boys,  that 
are  not  otherwise  employed  at  that  time  about  the  build- 
ings or  stock.  The  preparation  of  the  fuel  in  the  timber  and 
again  at  the  woodpiles  is,  to  say  the  least,  a  long  and  rather 
monotonous  employment.  Boys  who  do  not  manifest  an 
interest  in  this  part  of  their  early  training,  by  reason  of  its 
necessity  and  general  healthfulness,  are  prone  to  regard  it 
as  a  very  wearisome  employment,  until  they  acquire  skill 
in  the  matter  of  position  and  movement,  and  then  their  de- 
light is  manifested  in  efforts  to  outdo  one  another. 

THE  FARM  WORK 

In  order  that  friends  at  a  distance  may  know  something 
of  the  regular  methods  of  work  during  the  three-hour  work 
periods  of  each  day  and  during  the  period  of  the  term  the 
following  notes  are  added: 

During  the  first  four  or  more  weeks  of  the  term,  all  the 
available  student  help  is  busily  employed  gathering  in  the 
crops  of  cowpeas,  potatoes,  corn  and  cotton.  In  order  that 
their  undivided  attention  may  be  given  to  this  important 
work  at  this  time,  all  the  wood  needed  for  fuel  during  this 
period  has  to  be  brought  from  the  timber,  before  the  end 
of  the  previous  term. 


166  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

As  soon  as  the  crops  have  been  gathered  the  long  cam- 
paign for  the  year's  supply  of  wood  in  the  timber, — about 
25  cords, — has  to  be  undertaken  and  continued  from  week 
to  week,  especially  on  Saturdays  until  the  end  of  the  term. 

If  the  necessary  materials  are  on  hand,  this  is  the  gold- 
en time  to  start  the  older  and  best  trained  boys  on  the  per- 
manent improvement  work  outlined  for  the  year,  such  as 
fence  building,  sprouting,  clearing  of  new  lands,  the  con- 
struction of  conveniences  for  the  school,  home  or  farm,  the 
repair  of  old  the  erection  and  painting  of  new  buildings  and 
finally,  the  preparation  of  the  ground  and  planting  of  the 
crops  for  the  next  year. 

The  boys,  however,  are  never  taken  to  the  timber  or 
fields  when  the  ground  is  damp  or  the  weather  is  cold  and 
unfavorable.  When  from  these  causes  they  cannot  work  to 
advantage,  they  continue  their  studies  in  the  class  room, 
all  the  day. 

The  two  winter  months  of  January  and  February  have 
been  ordinarily  unfavorable  for  student  work  in  the  timber 
or  fields.  The  work  is  then,  to  a  considerable  extent,  limited 
to  the  carpenter  shop,  cellar,  or  indoor  work  on  new  build- 
ings. 

IMPROVEMENT  WORK 

In  order  that  the  work  performed  by  the  students  dur- 
ing the  industrial  hours  of  each  week,  may  serve  to  promote 
the  welfare  of  the  institution  as  well  as  for  training  the  in- 
dividual, it  devolves  upon  the  superintendent  and  matron  to 
have  ready  suitable  work,  and  all  the  tools  and  materials 
necessary  to  execute  it,  when  the  students  are  ready  for  as- 
signment. 

This  work  includes  the  chores  morning  and  evening, 
the  preparation  of  the  fuel — about  twenty-five  cords  an- 


THE  PROSPECTUS  IN  1912  167 

nually,  first  in  the  timber  and  then  at  the  woodpile — the  cul- 
tivation of  the  farm  and  garden,  the  harvesting  of  the  crops 
and  the  care  of  the  stock,  all  of  which  may  be  termed  neces- 
sary routine  work. 

In  addition  thereto  there  may  be  permanent  improve- 
ment work,  such  as  the  clearing  of  new  lands  for  cultivation 
and  enclosing  them  with  good  fences,  the  repair  of  old  and 
the  erection  of  new  buildings  and  the  manufacture  of  articles 
of  furniture  or  comfort,  for  the  better  equipment  of  the 
many  rooms  in  the  buildings. 

A  plain  statement  of  these  two  kinds  of  work  will  indi- 
cate to  nearly  every  one  the  prime  importance  of  endeavor- 
ing to  accomplish  as  much  improvement  work  as  possible 
each  term.  There  is  now  more  of  this  improvement  work 
pressing  for  immediate  attention  than  possibly  may  be  done 
during  the  next  three  years,  but  it  needs  now  to  be  contem- 
plated, intelligently  provided  for,  and  then  executed  as 
speedily  as  possible. 

SAWING  WOOD,  A  PICNIC 

Saturday  forenoon  has  come  to  be  recognized  as  the 
special  fuel  or  timber  day  of  each  week.  It  is  a  busy  and 
bustling  day  for  all.  For  this  day's  work  two  dozen  boys 
are  organized  and  equipped  with  axes,  a  splitting  outfit,  four 
cross-cut  saws  and  the  mule  team.  The  axe  men  are  di- 
vided into  two  squads,  the  axe  men  or  stumpers  who  cut 
down  trees,  and  the  trimmers  who  trim  the  trunks  and  large 
branches.  Three  boys  are  assigned  to  each  crosscut,  two 
of  whom  are  expected  to  keep  the  saw  running  steadily, 
while  the  third  one,  who  is  supposed  to  be  resting,  carries 
a  light  lever  and,  with  the  weight  of  his  body  raises  the  log 
under  the  crosscut,  so  it  will  not  bind  the  saw  as  it  goes 
through  it.    By  taking  turns  at  the  saw  and  lever,  the  hard- 


168  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

ness  of  this  work  is  greatly  relieved,  and  it  sometimes  is  sur- 
prising to  see  the  amount  of  work,  done  by  the  small  boys, 
when  they  have  "a  mind  to  work."  If  the  logs  are  large 
or  the  saw  runs  hard,  it  is  not  unusual  for  them  to  couple 
together  and  merrily  make  the  running  of  the  saw  a  four- 
handed  affair.  The  superintendent,  or  one  of  the  older  boys 
acting  as  a  foreman,  goes  before  the  saws  and  with  an  axe 
marks  out  the  work  for  them,  so  they  can  work  speedily, 
and  so  that  every  piece  that  may  serve  for  posts,  long  or 
short,  or  for  fence  props  or  rails,  is  cut  the  proper  length. 

The  boys  have  worked  faithfully  and  industriously  in  the 
timber  on  Saturday  forenoons.  A  rest  of  fifteen  minutes 
has  always  been  given,  about  the  middle  of  the  forenoon. 
When  the  signal  is  given,  they  assemble  at  some  convenient 
place,  where  there  are  several  logs  suited  for  seats;  for  all 
are  required  to  be  seated  as  the  best  way  to  rest  their  weary 
limbs,  during  this  period. 

A  pail  of  fresh  water  and  a  paper  sack  filled  with  soda 
crackers  is  always  provided  for  their  enjoyment  at  this 
time.  A  smile  of  pleasure  and  delight  is  sure  to  light  up  the 
countenance  of  every  boy,  when,  taking  his  turn,  he  thrusts 
his  hand  into  the  paper  sack  and  draws  therefrom  his  ap- 
pointed number  of  crackers. 

At  these  periods  of  rest  and  lunch  all  usually  seem  as 
happy  as  if  they  were  enjoying  a  regular  social  picnic  din- 
ner. Amid  the  merriment  and  pleasantry  of  the  occasion 
they  seem  to  forget  all  consciousness  of  weariness,  or 
thought  that  their  work  is  hard,  and  resume  it  again  with 
pleasure  and  delight. 


XXI 

OBLIGATION  AND  PLEDGES  . . 

OBLIGATION.— ENDEAVOR.  —  SELP-HELP  STUDENTS.  —  TEM- 
PERANCE.—THE  INTOXICATING  CUP.— PRESIDENT  LIN- 
COLN.—PRESIDENT  HARRISON. 

"Thy  vows  are  upon  me  0  God.  I  will  pay  my  vows  un- 
to the  Lord,  in  the  presence  of  all  his  people." — David. 

I.    THE  STUDENT'S  OBLIGATION 

>N  being  received  as  a  student  of  this  institu- 
tion, I  do  solemnly  promise,  God  helping  me, 
that  I  will  be  obedient  to  the  rules  of  this 
institution  and  endeavor  to  prove  myself  an 
earnest  student  and  thoughtful,  faithful 
worker;  that  I  will  be  prompt  in  responding  to  every  call, 
pay  the  cost  of  repair  to  any  furniture  or  glass  broken,  as  a 
result  of  thoughtlessness  or  carelessness  on  my  part;  and 
that  I  will  refrain  from  the  use  of  profane  or  angry  words 
to  man  or  beast ;  and  also  from  the  use  of  tobacco,  cigarettes, 
snuff,  dice,  gamblers  cards,  and  intoxicating  liquors  as  a 
beverage,  while  I  enjoy  the  privileges  of  the  academy. 

II.     CHRISTIAN  ENDEAVOR  PLEDGE 

Trusting  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  strength,  I  prom- 
ise him  that  I  will  strive  to  do  whatever  he  would  like  to 
have  me  do ;  that  I  will  pray  to  Him  and  read  the  Bible  every 
day,  and  that,  so  far  as  I  know  how,  throughout  my  whole 
life,  I  will  endeavor  to  lead  a  christian  life. 

(169) 


170  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

III.    PLEDGE  OF  SELF-HELP  STUDENTS 
As  long  as  I  am  accorded  and  enjoy  the  privilege  of  a 
home  and  of  a  student  at  Oak  Hill  Academy,  recognizing  the 
fact  that  my  time  during  the  periods  of  work  does  not  be- 
long to  me,  but  to  the  institution; 

I  solemnly  pledge  my  word  and  honor,  God  helping 
me,  that  I  will  refrain  from  making  any  engagement  else- 
where, that  might  interfere  with  the  faithful  and  constant 
performance  of  the  duties  devolving  on  me  at  Oak  Hill ;  that 
I  will  conscientiously  keep  my  word  as  to  the  time  of  my  re- 
turn, when  absent  from  my  home  at  the  academy ;  that  I  will 
yield  a  prompt  and  cordial  obedience  to  all  the  rules  and 
regulations  relating  to  the  conduct  of  students  at  the  acad- 
emy, and  that  I  will  constantly  endeavor  to  show  myself 
worthy  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  superintendent 
and  his  helpers;  and  not  leave  the  institution  until  I  have 
honorably  met  all  of  my  obligations. 

IV.     TOTAL-ABSTINENCE  PLEDGE 
"Abstain  from  all  appearance  of  evil/' — Paul. 
"With  malice  toward  none  and  charity  for  all,  I  the  un- 
dersigned do  pledge  my  word  and  honor, 

GOD  HELPING  ME 
To  abstain  from  all  Intoxicating  Liquors  as  a  beverage  and 
that  I  will,  by  all  honorable  means,  encourage  others  to  ab- 
stain. 


OBLIGATION  AND  PLEDGES 


171 


An  acre  of  government  land  costs  $1.25,  and  a  bottle  of 
whiskey  about  $2.00.  How  strange  that  so  many  people  pre- 
fer the  whiskey. 


^■i'OOKJOT^THou^^ 
AS    KSboseS^  <•---■, 

UPON   THE 

SpSSf 

lsjpED.WHENlTi| 
|T  HI-!  IS 'COLOR  INTHE.M 


I 

mfJVETH 


1S^LGHT.  ATTHELAJ 
A»  oil  BITETH  LIKE  # 

fcSERPENM 

V*A^STINSET.Hf!^ 


el 


jPROVrXX2T<&.2& 


THE  INTOXICATING  CUP 

Within  this  glass  destruction  rides, 
And  in  its  depths  does  ruin  swim; 

Around  its  foam  perdition  glides, 
And  death  is  dancing  on  its  brim. 

WHAT  THEY  THINK  ABOUT  IT 

A  curse. — Queen  Victoria. 
A  scandal  and  a  shame. — Gladstone. 
It  stupefies  and  besots. — Bismark. 
The  devil  in  solution. — Sir  Wilfred  Lawson. 
The  mother  of  want  and  the  nurse  of  crime. — Lord 
Brougham. 

Saloons  are  traps  for  workingmen. — Earl  Cairnes. 


172  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 

The  following  is  the  pledge  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  the 

great  emancipator. 

"Whereas,  the  use  of  alcoholic  liquors  as  a  beverage  is 
productive  of  pauperism,  degradation  and  crime,  and  believ- 
ing it  is  our  duty  to  discourage  that  which  produces  more 
evil  than  good;  we,  therefore  pledge  ourselves  to  abstain 
from  the  use  of  intoxicating  liquors  as  a  beverage." 

When  Lincoln  signed  the  pledge  he  was  a  tall  awkward 
youth,  and  the  only  one  that  went  forward  at  the  meet- 
ing in  the  log  school  house  to  sign  it  that  night.  When  he 
was  president,  "Old  Uncle  John,"  who  induced  him  to  sign 
it,  called  on  him  at  the  White  House  and  Lincoln  said : 

"I  owe  more  to  you  than  to  almost  any  one  of  whom  I 
can  think.  If  I  had  not  signed  the  pledge  in  the  days  of  my 
youthful  temptation,  I  should  probably  have  gone  the  way 
of  a  majority  of  my  early  companions,  who  lived  drunkard's 
lives  and  are  now  filling  drunkard's  graves." 

After  reconstruction,  the  next  great  question  is  the 

overthrow  of  the  liquor  traffic. — Abraham  Lincoln. 

WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON 

"Gentlemen  I  have  now  twice  refused  your  request  to 
partake  of  the  wine  cup.  That  should  be  sufficient.  I  made 
a  resolve  when  I  started  in  life,  that  I  would  avoid  strong 
drink:  I  have  never  broken  that  pledge.  I  am  one  of  a 
class  of  seventeen  young  men  who  graduated;  the  other 
sixteen  fill  drunkard's  graves,  all  due  to  the  pernicious  habit 
of  wine  drinking.  I  owe  my  health,  happiness  and  pros- 
perity to  the  fact  I  have  never  broken  my  pledge  of  total 
abstinence.    I  trust  you  will  not  again  urge  me  to  do  so." 

This  noble  answer  was  given  to  friends  who  were  din- 
ing with  him  at  the  old  Washington  House  in  Chester,  Pa., 
when  he  was  a  candidate  for  president. 


XXII 

BIBLE  STUDY  AND  MEMORY  WORK 

AIMS  IN  BIBLE  STUDY.— SELF-CONTROL.— TRAINING  THE 
MEMORY  AND  VOICE.— DIVINE  TRUTH  THE  NEED  OF  ALL. 
—ONE  BOOK  IN  THE  HOME.— COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY.— 
THE  BIBLE  ONLY  IN  SUNDAY  SCHOOL.— A  LIFE-LONG 
GOLDEN  TREASURE.— A  FOUNTAIN  OF  BLESSING.— UP- 
LIFTING POWER  IN  NEW  HEBRIDES. 

"Hold  fast  the  form  of  sound  words;  *  *  *  that  ye  may 
be  able  to  give  to  every  one  that  asketh,  a  reason  of  the 
hope  that  is  in  you." — Paul. 

>HE  development  of  the  Bible-memory  work, 
that,  during  the  later  years  of  this  period, 
moved  forward  very  rapidly,  was  one  of 
small  beginnings  and  slow  progress  at  first. 
The  meetings  were  held  at  half  past  two 
o'clock  on  Sabbath  afternoons. 

The  girls  were  formed  into  one  class  and  their  meet- 
ing was  held  in  the  sitting  room  of  the  Girls'  Hall.  The  boys 
met  immediately  afterwards  in  the  office  of  the  superin- 
tendent in  the  Boys'  Hall. 

The  weekly  lesson  consisted  in  committing  to  memory 
five  to  seven  verses  in  the  more  important  chapters  of  the 
New  Testament  and  Psalms,  commencing  with  the  ten  com- 
mandments in  Exodus  XX,  1-17.  The  passages  assigned 
were  read  and  studied  every  week  in  the  school  under  the 
direction  of  the  principal,  in  order  that  all  the  younger 
pupils,  as  well  as  the  older  ones,  might  be  able  to  repeat 
them  on  Sabbath. 

At  the  meetings,  which  were  conducted  by  the  superin- 
tendent, the  lesson  assigned  would  have  to  be  read  over 

(173) 


174  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

several  times  in  concert  before  their  voices  would  acquire 
the  right  movement  and  expression.  The  effort  to  train  the 
memory,  by  committing  scripture  verses,  was  one  from 
which  many  of  them  shrank  as  being  too  irksome,  and  the 
weekly  lesson  of  one  verse  a  day  would  have  to  be  repeated 
a  number  of  times,  before  most  of  them  could  continue  to 
be  heard  to  the  end  of  the  lesson.  The  previous  lessons 
were  then  reviewed,  to  fasten  them  more  firmly  on  the 
memory.  The  advance  lesson  was  then  read  together  that 
all  might  surely  know  its  place  and  extent. 

AIMS  IN  BIBLE  STUDY 

"Accurate  Bible  Knowledge"  and  "Character  building" 
were  the  keynotes  of  the  instruction  given  at  these  meetings. 
A  third  object,  that  was  constantly  kept  in  view,  was  the 
training  and  development  of  their  youthful  voices  for  pub- 
lic address  in  religious  meetings.  This  was  accomplished 
by  making  a  large  use  of  the  concert  drill,  both  in  reading 
and  repeating  the  classic  and  beautiful  passages  of  the 
Bible. 

The  tendency  of  the  new  pupils  to  speak  and  act  badly 
from  sudden  impulse,  was  freely  admitted  at  these  meet- 
ings. As  a  means  of  enabling  them  to  put  a  check  on  their 
impulsive  dispositions  and  acquire  the  art  of  self-control, 
the  following  questions  were  prepared  and  asked  of  each, 
at  the  opening  of  the  lesson  hour. 

1.  During  the  week  that  has  passed,  have  you  re- 
frained entirely  from  the  use  of  profane  or  quarrelsome 
words  and  actions? 

2.  Have  you  been  uniformly  respectful  and  obedient 
to  all  of  your  teachers  ? 

3.  Are  you  using  your  spare  moments  each  day  for 
some  good  purpose,  that  will  promote  your  best  interests? 


BIBLE  STUDY  AND  MEMORY  WORK  175 

The  cordial  and  helpful  cooperation  of  Miss  Adelia 
Eaton,  our  first  matron,  in  connection  with  this  Bible  mem- 
ory work  at  the  period  when  it  was  most  difficult  to  awak- 
en interest  and  enthusiasm  in  it,  was  very  greatly  appreciat- 
ed. Although  her  presence  was  not  required,  she  volunta- 
rily arranged  to  be  present  at  every  meeting.  She  seldom 
if  ever  participated  in  the  meetings,  but  she  invariably  ar- 
ranged the  room  in  the  most  convenient  form  for  the  meet- 
ing and  continued  to  patiently  aid  and  encourage  those  of 
the  girls,  to  whom  this  memory  work  was  the  hardest,  un- 
til the  last  moment  before  the  meeting,  The  increased  at- 
tendance of  later  years,  made  it  advisable  to  hold  these 
Bible  meetings  in  the  chapel,  and  there  both  classes  met  to- 
gether. 

TRAINING  THE  MEMORY 

The  memory,  the  natural  power  of  retaining  and  re- 
calling what  has  been  learned,  is  the  basis  of  all  progress 
in  study.  It  is  the  faculty  that  enriches  the  mind  by  pre- 
serving the  treasures  of  labor  and  industry.  The  beauty 
and  perfection  of  all  the  other  mental  faculties  are  de- 
pendent on  it.  Without  its  aid  there  can  be  no  advance- 
ment in  knowledge,  arts  and  sciences;  and  no  improvement 
in  virtue,  morals  and  religion. 

Those  who  cannot  read  acquire  knowledge  by  hearing, 
and  their  vision  is  occupied  principally  with  large  rather 
than  small  objects.  It  was  soon  a  matter  of  observation 
that  the  children  of  illiterate  parents  in  whose  homes  there 
are  no  books,  find  it  very  difficult  to  learn  to  read,  after  they 
have  passed  fourteen  years  of  age.  That  which  is  natural 
and  easy  in  childhood,  becomes  more  difficult  the  longer  it 
is  delayed.  They  form  the  habit  and  find  it  much  easier 
to  acquire  knowledge  like  their  parents  by  the  ear,  or  "by 


176  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

air"  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  than  by  poring  over  the 
letters  and  words  of  a  printed  line  in  a  book.  Many  that  are 
over  fourteen  before  they  are  sent  to  school  shrink  from 
the  mental  discipline  and  labor  of  learning  things  so  small 
as  letters  and  words,  and  seek  relief  by  looking  elsewhere 
than  on  the  printed  page. 

By  the  aid  of  a  memory  that  has  been  trained  for  ser- 
vice in  childhood,  one  is  able  to  learn  easily  and  rapidly; 
and  also  to  express  their  treasures  of  knowledge  in  such  a 
way  as  to  give  life  and  animation  to  every  word  that  is  ut- 
tered. 

The  memory  is  very  responsive  to  training  in  childhood 
and  youth.  Its  retentive  power  may  then  be  very  greatly 
increased  by  judicious  exercise  and  labor,  which  have  that 
distinct  end  in  view,  just  as  the  limbs  gradually  grow 
stronger  by  daily  exercise.  If  it  is  accustomed  to  retain 
a  moderate  quantity  of  knowledge  in  childhood,  it  is 
strengthened  and  fitted  for  more  rapid  development  in 
youth.  That  is  the  golden  period  to  learn  the  "form  of 
sound  words,"  that  shall  exert  a  moulding  influence  upon 
the  entire  life. 

Repeated  acts  form  a  habit,  and  habits  of  thought  may 
be  aided  by  a  methodical  system  in  the  arrangement  of  in- 
tellectual possessions.  Frequent  review,  repetition,  con- 
scious delight  in  the  things  to  be  learned  and  association  of 
the  new  with  the  known,  are  important  aids  to  the  memory, 
that  may  be  profitably  observed  throughout  the  entire  life. 

DIVINE  TRUTH  THE  NEED  OF  ALL 
Truth  is  the  natural  food  for  the  mind  and  does  for  it 
what  bread  and  meat  do  for  the  body.    The  mental  facul- 
ties include  the  intellect,  the  power  of  thought ;  the  memory, 
the  conscience,  the  power  that  enables  one  to  distinguish  be- 


BIBLE  STUDY  AND  MEMORY  WORK  177 

tween  right  and  wrong;  and  the  judgment,  the  power  of  de- 
cision. There  are  no  truths  so  well  adapted  for  the  best 
training  and  development  of  all  these  faculties,  as  the  great 
and  important  ones  that  God  has  so  attractively  and  plain- 
ly revealed  in  His  holy  word.  The  poetic  parts  of  the  Old 
Testament  and  the  words  of  Jesus  in  the  New,  are  adapted 
alike  for  the  comfort  and  instruction  of  childhood,  manhood 
and  old  age.  "Man  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every 
word  that  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  God."  "I  am  the 
living  bread  which  came  down  from  heaven ;  if  any  man  eat 
of  this  bread  he  shall  live  forever." 

ONE  BOOK  IN  THE  HOME 

One  aim  of  the  requirement  to  commit  one  verse  a  day 
in  the  Bible  presented  to  each  pupil  was,  of  course,  to  make 
even  those,  whose  terms  in  school  were  the  shortest,  fa- 
miliar with  some  of  the  most  important  parts  of  the  one 
book,  they  were  expected  to  take  to  their  homes ;  but  another 
distinct  aim  was  to  develop  the  memory  of  every  pupil  so  as 
to  make  the  mastery  of  other  books  easier  and  their  pro- 
gress in  them  more  rapid. 

Every  pupil  was  encouraged  to  train  their  memory  to 
be  their  ready  and  faithful  servant,  so  that  it  would  recall 
a  line,  a  verse  or  a  rule,  when  it  had  been  carefully  traced 
the  third  time,  by  the  eye. 

The  definitions  and  rules  form  the  most  important  parts 
of  most  of  the  necessary  text-books  above  the  primary  de- 
partment. The  future  value  of  these  studies,  as  well  as  the 
pupils  advance  in  them  while  in  school,  depends  on  his  abil- 
ity to  understand,  apply  and  easily  remember  the  rules.  The 
thorough  teacher  will  discard  the  use  of  those  superficial 
authors,  whose  books  lack  these  important  parts,  tersely 
and  plainly  stated.    The  sooner  that  a  pupil  learns  to  follow, 


178  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

obey  and  never  to  violate  a  rule,  the  sooner  does  he  begin 
to  advance  rapidly  and  profitably  in  his  studies. 

COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY 

The  memory  work  of  a  term,  according  to  the  rule, 
one  verse  a  day,  would  usually  carry  the  student  through  the 
following  passages: 

The  Oak  Hill  Endeavor  Benediction,  Numbers  6,  24-26 
and  Rev.  1,  5-6;  The  Ten  Commandments  Exodus  20,  1-17; 
Words  of  Comfort,  Confession  and  Devotion,  Psalms  1st, 
8th,  19th,  23d,  27th,  50th,  51st,  90th,  103d,  part  of  the 
119th,  122d  and  150th;  Wise  Counsels,  Proverbs  3d  and 
4th ;  A  new  heart  promised,  Ezekiel  36,25-32 ;  John  Baptist's 
Message,  Matthew  3d;  The  Beatitudes  and  Sermon  on  the 
Mount,  Matthew  5th ;  The  Divinity  of  Christ,  John  1st ;  His 
Farewell  Address,  John  14th ;  The  Bible  inspired,  2  Timothy 
3,  14-17.  Also  the  first  half  of  the  Westminster  Shorter 
Catechism,  with  its  ever  memorable  beginning,  "Man's  Chief 
end  is  to  glorify  God  and  enjoy  Him  forever." 

Every  new  pupil  is  encouraged  to  read  the  Bible  in 
course,  an  average  of  one  chapter  a  day  or  seven  each  week, 
making  report  of  progress  at  the  Bible  hour  each  Sabbath 
afternoon.  By  this  plan  many  of  them  read,  during  their 
first  term,  the  books  of  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  John,  Acts 
and  Romans. 

THE  BIBLE  ONLY  IN  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

The  Inter-National  lessons  are  always  prepared  for  the 
Sunday  school  hour,  but  always  and  only  from  the  Bible  in 
the  hand  of  each  scholar.  The  teachers  only  are  supplied 
with  other  helps,  and  even  these  are  used  only  during  the 
period  of  preparation.  The  Bible,  black  board,  map  and 
charts  only  are  used  by  the  teacher  and  students  during  the 


BIBLE  STUDY  AND  MEMORY  WORK  179 

Sunday  school  session.  This  use  of  the  Bible  only  in  the 
Sunday  school,  served  to  create  a  demand  for  it  on  the  part 
of  every  scholar  and  attendant,  and  to  increase  the  famil- 
iarity of  each  with  their  own  copy  of  it.  It  is  a  good  plan 
for  any  teacher  or  Sunday  school,  that  wishes  to  promote 
reading  and  circulation  of  the  Scriptures  in  the  homes  of 
the  people. 

A  LIFE-LONG  GOLDEN  TREASURE 

He  has  a  rich  treasure  whose  memory  is  well  stored 
with  words  from  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Such  a  treasure  is 
"more  to  be  desired  than  gold,  yea,  than  much  fine  gold." 
It  is  a  life-long  treasure  to  those  who  secure  it  in  youth. 
It  cannot  be  taken  away,  but  it  may  be  imparted  to  others. 
Whoever  shares  this  treasure  with  others,  sows  the  good 
seed  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  and  realizes  in  his  own  soul, 
that  he  "who  sows  bountifully  shall  also  reap  bountifully." 

Committing  the  scriptures  to  memory  was  a  delightful 
employment  to  the  Psalmist,  who  said:  "Thy  word  have  I 
hid  in  my  heart,"  and  again,  "Let  my  heart  be  sound  in  thy 
statutes."  "Thy  statutes  have  been  my  songs  in  the  house 
of  my  pilgrimage."  "I  will  never  forget  thy  precepts;  for 
with  them  thou  hast  quickened  me  and  caused  me  to  hate 
every  false  way."  "Thy  word  is  a  lamp  unto  my  feet,  and  a 
light  unto  my  path."  "Order  my  steps  in  thy  word ;  for  the 
entrance  of  thy  words  giveth  light." 

A  BEAUTIFUL  TRIBUTE 

The  following  beautiful  tribute  to  the  Bible,  printed  by 

Soper  and  Son,  Detroit,  was  pasted  on  the  inside  of  the  front 

lid  of  every  Bible  presented  to  the  students. 

This  Book  contains  the  mind  of  God,  the  state  of  man, 
the  way  of  salvation,  the  doom  of  sinners,  and  the  happiness 
of  believers.  Its  doctrines  are  holy,  its  precepts  are  bind- 
ing, its  histories  are  true,  and  its  decisions  are  immutable. 


180  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Read  it  to  be  wise,  believe  it  to  be  safe,  and  practise  it  to 
be  holy.  It  contains  light  to  direct  you,  food  to  support  you, 
and  comfort  to  cheer  you.  It  is  the  traveler's  map,  the  pil- 
grim's staff,  the  pilot's  compass,  the  soldier's  sword,  and 
the  Christian's  charter.  Here  Paradise  is  restored,  heaven 
opened,  and  the  gates  of  hell  disclosed,  Christ  is  its  grand 
subject,  our  good  its  design,  and  the  glory  of  God  its  end. 
It  should  fill  the  memory,  rule  the  heart,  and  guide  the  feet. 
Read  it  slowly,  frequently,  prayerfully.  It  is  a  mine  of 
wealth,  a  paradise  of  glory,  and  a  river  of  pleasure.  It  is 
given  you  in  life,  will  be  opened  in  judgment,  and  be  remem- 
bered forever.  It  involves  the  highest  responsibility,  re- 
wards the  greatest  labor,  and  condemns  all  who  trifle  with 
its  sacred  contents. 

A  FOUNTAIN  OF  BLESSINGS 
The  Bible  is  an  infallible  revelation  from  God  in  re- 
gard to  his  own  character,  will  and  works.  One  result  of 
a  practical  faith  in  it  is  the  development  of  an  heroic  mis- 
sionary spirit.  The  noblest  heroisms  that  mark  the  his- 
tory of  the  human  race  have  had  their  inspiration  in  im- 
plicit faith  in  the  Bible.  "Men  in  whom  life  was  fresh  and 
strong,  and  women,  the  embodiment  of  gentleness  and  deli- 
cacy, have  met  the  martyrs  death  of  fire,  singing  until  the 
red-tongued  flames  licked  up  their  breath." 

It  is  the  fountain  from  which  have  come  the  principles 
of  a  pure  morality  and  "all  sweet  charities."  It  has  been  the 
motive  power  that  has  effected  the  regeneration  and  re- 
formation of  millions  of  men.  "It  has  comforted  the  hum- 
ble, consoled  the  mourning,  sustained  the  suffering  and 
given  trust  and  triumph  to  the  dying." 

Rational  minds  will  ask  for  no  higher  proof,  that  the 
Bible,  as  a  revelation  from  God  is  reliable,  than  the  nature 
and  results  of  the  faith  that  is  based  upon  it.  The  results 
include  the  noblest  phenomena  of  human  experience,  the 
richest  fruitage  of  our  christian  civilization.  The  Bible  is 
the  one  great  regenerative  and  redemptive  agency  in  the 


BIBLE  STUDY  AND  MEMORY  WORK  181 

world,  and  this  soon  becomes  apparent,  whenever  it  is  read 
in  the  homes  of  the  people. 

UPLIFTING  POWER  IN  NEW  HEBRIDES'  ISLANDS 

A  very  interesting  illustration  of  this  fact  has  been 
narrated  by  John  Inglis  a  Scottish  Missionary  to  the  New 
Hebrides.  On  going  there  about  the  middle  of  the  last  cen- 
tury, he  selected  for  his  abode  an  island  occupied  by  canni- 
bals. Among  the  things  he  took  with  him  was  a  mason's 
hammer.  When  he  began  to  dress  and  square  the  hard 
rocks  of  the  neighborhood  to  build  the  chimney  of  his 
house,  the  novelty  of  the  operation  drew  a  crowd  of  the  na- 
tives around  him.  They  looked  on  in  wonder,  and  were  sur- 
prised to  see  the  hammer  break  in  pieces  and  bring  into 
shape  those  hard  stones,  which  no  one  had  before  attempt- 
ed to  break. 

Missionaries,  like  philosophers  sometimes  find  "ser- 
mons in  stones,"  as  well  as  "good  in  everything."  On  this 
occasion,  he  took  the  stones  and  the  hammer  as  his  text  and 
gave  them  a  short  practical  sermon  as  follows: 

"You  see  these  stones  and  this  hammer.  You  might 
strike  these  stones  with  a  block  of  wood  till  you  were  tired 
and  you  would  not  break  off  a  single  chip ;  but  when  I  strike 
with  a  hammer  you  see  how  easily  they  are  broken,  or  cut 
into  needful  shapes.  Now  God  tells  us  that  our  hearts  are 
like  stones,  and  that  his  Word  is  like  a  hammer.  Some  white 
men  came  among  you  before  the  arrival  of  the  missionaries, 
and  you  continued  as  much  heathen  as  ever.  But  when  the 
missionaries  came  and  spoke  to  you,  you  gave  up  your  heath- 
enism, began  to  keep  the  Sabbath  day,  to  worship  God  and 
to  live  like  christians.  What  caused  this  difference?  The 
words  of  the  missionaries  were  not  any  louder  or  stronger 
than  those  of  the  other  white  men.  The  difference  was 
merely  this — the  other  white  men  spoke  their  own  words; 
they  spoke  the  words  of  men;  and  that  was  like  striking 
these  stones  with  a  piece  of  wood.  But  the  missionaries  in- 
stead of  speaking  to  you  their  own  words  read  to  you  the 


182  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Words  of  God;  and  that  was  like  this    hammer    striking, 
breaking  and  bringing  into  shape  your  stony  hearts." 

This  illustration  took  hold  on  their  imagination;  the 
sermon  on  the  stones  and  the  hammer  was  not  soon  for- 
gotten. Many  years  afterwards,  some  of  the  older  natives 
when  leading  in  prayer  in  the  church  would  offer  the  pe- 
tition, "0  Lord,  thy  word  is  like  a  hammer,  take  it  and  with 
it  break  our  stony  hearts  and  shape  them  according  to  the 
rule  of  Thy  holy  law." 

There  were  3,500  natives  on  this  island.  Through  the 
influence  of  God's  Word,  for  no  other  means  were  employed 
save  the  human  voice  to  make  it  known,  all  of  them  were  led 
to  abandon  heathenism  and  place  themselves  under  Chris- 
tian instruction. 

These  people  had  no  money  but  they  could  gather  and 
prepare  arrowroot.  They  were  encouraged  to  bring  this  to 
the  missionaries,  in  order  to  secure  a  supply  of  Bibles  for 
the  island,  with  the  result  that  in  a  few  years  they  sent 
$2,500  to  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  society,  London,  for 
copies  of  the  New  Testament  and  Psalms ;  and  a  few  years 
later  $3,500  to  pay  for  the  printing  of  the  Old  Testament 
in  their  own  language. 

There  is  no  instance  on  record  of  a  like  number  of 
heathen  people,  so  poor,  being  persuaded  to  contribute  so 
much  money  to  obtain  any  other  book ;  and  why  not  ?  It  is 
because  the  Bible  alone  is  divine  and  this  divine  power  has 
subdued  human  hearts,  "Is  not  my  word  like  as  a  fire? 
saith  the  Lord;  and  like  a  hammer  that  breaketh  the  rock 
in  pieces  ?"— Jer.  23.  29. 

The  Bible  is  the  Book  of  the  Lord,  a  "sure  word  of 
prophecy,  whereunto  we  do  well  to  take  heed,  as  unto  a  light 
that  shineth  in  a  dark  place."  It  challenges  us  to  "prove  all 
things  and  hold  fast  that  which  is  good." 


XXIII 

DECISION  DAYS 

CHRISTMAS.— WASHINGTON'S  BIRTHDAY. 

"How  long  halt  ye  between  two  opinions?  If  the  Lord 
be  God  follow  him."  — Elijah. 

h^^^^/fJVERY  new  student  at  the  time  of  his  enroll- 
i'  P  W  ment  was  requested  to  state  whether  or  not 
L-'  yj  he  was  a  member  of  church.  If  a  negative 
response  was  received,  he  was  kindly  in- 
formed it  would  be  regarded  as  a  serious 
disappointment,  if  he  did  not  become  an  active  Christian 
worker,  during  the  period  he  enjoyed  the  privileges  of  the 
Academy.  As  a  means  of  enabling  every  one  to  manifest 
their  decision  to  live  a  Christian  life,  Decision  days  were 
held  frequently  during  the  term.  The  first  one  always  oc- 
curred at  least  one  week  before  Christmas;  and  the  others 
about  the  Day  of  Prayer  for  Colleges,  Easter  and  Memorial 
Sabbaths.  When  advantage  could  not  be  taken  of  a  volun- 
tary visit  on  the  part  of  a  neighboring  pastor  the  co-opera- 
tion of  one  of  them  was  always  solicited. 

On  the  first  occasion  Rev.  William  Butler  was  present, 
Feb.  11,  1906,  and  took  for  his  theme  in  the  morning,  the 
Good  Shepherd,  and  in  the  evening,  the  New  Heart,  his  own 
heart  was  gladdened  by  seeing  twenty-three  young  people 
come  to  the  front  in  response  to  his  appeal  and  pledge  them- 
selves to  live  a  Christian  life.  A  month  later  the  pastor's 
heart  was  gladdened  anew  by  receiving  fourteen  of  them  into 
the  membership  of  the  church  and  administering  baptism  to 

(183) 


184  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

ten  of  them.  Two  lears  later,  as  the  result  of  an  evangel- 
istic meeting  held  on  the  evening  of  the  closing  day  of  the 
Farmers'  institute,  January  1,  1908,  Mr.  Butler,  who  was 
one  of  the  speakers  at  the  institute,  had  the  pleasure  of 
seeing  twenty-one  other  students  manifest  a  decision  to  live 
a  Christian  life.  Rev.  Wiley  Homer,  T.  K.  Bridges  and 
Samuel  Gladman,  assisted  and  with  encouraging  results  on 
other  decision  days. 

In  1910,  Washington's  birthday,  Thursday,  was  ob- 
served by  a  patriotic  and  evangelistic  meeting  at  which  im- 
pressive addresses  were  delivered  by  Rev.  W.  J.  Willis  of 
Garvin  and  Rev.  A.  B.  Johnson  of  McAlester.  Among  those 
present  were  thirteen  that  had  not  previously  manifested  a 
decision.  In  response  to  the  appeal  of  Mr.  Willis,  every  one 
of  these  thirteen  voluntarily  arose,  came  forward  and  gave 
their  pledge  to  live  a  Christian  life.  The  attainment  of  a 
voluntary  pledge  from  every  student  in  attendance  at  that 
time  made  this  an  eventful  occasion.  It  was  also  deeply  im- 
pressive. Every  one  joined  in  the  joyful  congratulatory 
procession. 

As  it  was  the  last  glad  and  happy  decision  day  before 
the  loss  of  the  Girls'  Hall,  which  occurred  on  the  second  Sab- 
bath following,  it  has  been  commemorated  by  an  engraving 
from  a  photo,  thoughtfully  taken  before  hand  by  Miss  Mary 
Weimer,  in  which  may  be  seen  David  Michael,  Livingston 
Brasco,  and  William  Shoals,  who  have  just  returned  from 
the  timber  with  vines  and  white  flowers  to  decorate  the 
chapel  for  this  meeting. 


XXIV 

THE  SELF-HELP  DEPARTMENT 

FOOLISH  NOTIONS.— A  PROMISING  GIRL.— THOUGHTLESS 
BOYS.  — THOUGHTFUL  YOUNG  PEOPLE.  —  VACATION 
WORKERS.— JAMESTOWN  COLLEGE.— SUPPORT  OF  SELF- 
SUPPORTING  STUDENTS.— HOW  IT  WORKS.— ENLARGE- 
MENT AND  PERMANENT  IMPROVEMENT.— SELF-SUPPORT 
MEANS   INDEPENDENCE.— PARK   COLLEGE. 

"If  any  would  not  work,  neither  should  he  eat." — Paul. 

f^^^^^/fJHE  unexpected  disappointments  experienced 
i"   in  establishing  the  self-help  department  are 
j)  worthy  of  a  brief  mention.    They  serve  to 
illustrate    some   foolish    notions    that   pre- 
vailed among  some  of  our  first  patrons,  and 
prepare  the  way  for  a  good  suggestion. 

The  aim  of  this  department  is  to  enlarge  the  scope  of 
the  training  work  of  the  institution  by  the  employment  of 
students,  as  far  as  possible,  to  do  the  necessary  work  dur- 
ing vacations  as  well  as  the  chores  during  the  school-terms ; 
and  by  this  means,  reducing  the  number  of  hired  helpers, 
afford  lucrative  employment  to  the  greatest  number  of  stu- 
dents, as  a  means  of  self  help. 

In  view  of  the  needy  and  helpless  condition  of  the  peo- 
ple in  their  new  homes,  and  the  urgent  prospective  demand 
for  more  teachers,  one  would  naturally  suppose  every  family 
would  be  eager  to  take  advantage  of  such  an  opportunity.  The 
scheme  however  was  a  new  one  and  it  was  regarded  with 
suspicion  and  disfavor.     The  effort  to  have  leading  fam- 

(185) 


186  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

ilies,  those  that  seemed  to  stand  in  the  nearest  relation  to 
it  by  having  previously  enjoyed  its  privileges  most  freely, 
cooperate  in  the  establishment  of  this  plan,  by  permitting 
one  of  their  children  to  remain  at  the  academy  during  the 
vacation  period  or  even  do  extra  work  a  part  of  the  day 
during  the  term,  and  thereby  be  able  to  continue  and  com- 
plete a  course  of  study  that  would  fit  them  for  teaching, 
proved  a  complete  disappointment.  This  disappointment 
was  the  occasion  of  two  earnest  appeals  before  two  different 
meetings  of  the  Presbytery,  but  neither  of  them  received 
more  than  a  respectful  hearing,  no  favorable  response. 

Some,  whose  children  had  been  previously  carried  from 
year  to  year  gratuitously,  no  doubt,  regarded  it  as  the  inno- 
vation of  a  stranger,  who  was  adroitly  depriving  them  of 
their  former  rights  and  privileges;  while  others  seemed  to 
view  it  as  a  discovery  to  their  neighbors,  that  they  were 
not  able  to  pay  for  the  education  of  their  children.  Some 
of  the  larger  girls  at  the  academy,  when  requested  to  ar- 
range to  do  some  extra  work  at  the  school  declined,  saying 
they  had  homes  of  their  own  and  did  not  have  to  work  for 
others  away  from  home. 

A  PROMISING  GIRL 
That  this  was  not  the  sentiment,  however,  of  all  the 
larger  girls  appears  in  the  following  incident.  A  very 
promising  girl  01  sixteen  came  to  the  school  of  her  own  ac- 
cord. She  was  animated  with  the  desire  to  become  a  chris- 
tian teacher.  About  the  middle  of  the  term,  a  younger 
brother  called  with  the  request  from  her  mother,  that  she 
return  home.  No  reason  was  assigned  and  she  knew  of  no 
good  one.  She  sent  her  mother  word  that  she  desired  to 
remain,  and  resumed  her  studies.  Two  weeks  later  an  old- 
er brother  called  with  a  pre-emptory  demand  that  she  return 


THE  SELF-HELP  DEPARTMENT  187 

home  with  him.  The  reason  assigned  by  her  mother  for 
this  unexpected  and  arbitrary  request  was,  "Daughter  can 
get  along  without  school  as  well  as  her  mother."  It  seems 
scarcely  necessary  to  state  that  this  promising  and  aspir- 
ing young  lady  was  not  permitted  to  return. 

THOUGHTLESS  BOYS 

The  first  to  acquiesce  in  the  arrangement  to  pay  a  part 
of  their  term  expense  by  working  at  the  academy  during 
the  vacation  were  some  boys,  who  had  not  learned  to  work ; 
and  it  seemed  impossible  for  them  to  conceal  the  fact  that 
they  did  not  want  to  work.  They  were  not  old  enough  or  did 
not  know  enough  to  appreciate  the  privileges  accorded  to 
them ;  and  as  many  as  three  of  them  ran  away,  when  most 
needed. 

The  work  deserted  by  two  of  these  boys  was  undertaken 
by  a  third  one,  not  then  a  student.  He  was  a  willing  worker 
and  at  the  end  of  the  summer  found  that  his  job  at  the 
academy  was  his  best  one  during  the  season.  He  illustrated 
the  difference  between  the  worthy  and  the  worthless.  The 
worthy  achieve  success  where  the  worthless  make  a  miser- 
able failure. 

THOUGHTFUL  YOUNG  PEOPLE 

It  was  left  for  some  thoughtful  young  people  living  at 
a  distance  to  come,  take  advantage  of  the  opportunities 
thus  afforded  and  make  this  self-help  or  industrial  depart- 
ment a  real,  visible  and  practical  success.  While  deriving  a 
life-long  benefit  for  themselves,  they  have  conferred  a  last- 
ing benefit  to  the  institution  by  remaining  long  enough  to 
reach  the  higher  grades.  Their  efficient  service  in  various 
lines  of  work  has  served  to  show  that  the  varied  and  thor- 


188  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

ough  training  given  during  recent  vacations  has  been  very 
valuable  to  them. 

The  vacation  period  has  afforded  the  best  opportun- 
ity for  instruction  and  practice  on  the  organ,  for  reading 
the  many  good  books  in  the  library  and  for  special  train- 
ing in  farming,  carpentry  and  in  the  various  kinds  of  work, 
like  canning  fruit  or  the  manufacture  of  sorghum,  that 
require  attention  only  during  the  summer  months.  It  has 
hitherto  seemed  to  be  the  golden  period  of  the  year  when 
the  personal  responsibility  and  general  efficiency  of  the 
student  has  been  most  rapidly  developed,  a  fact  no  doubt 
due  to  the  freer  daily  association  with  the  superintendent 
and  teachers.  The  full  course  of  training  provided  at  the 
institution  can  be  fully  enjoyed  only  by  those  who  remain 
during  the  summer  months. 

VACATION  WORKERS 
The  vacation  workers  have  always  been  regarded  as 
members  of  the  Oak  Hill  family  and  every  personal  want 
has  been  promptly  supplied.  The  habit  of  reading  or  learn- 
ing something  every  day,  kept  them  prepared  for  doing 
their  best  work  on  the  first  as  well  as  their  last  day  of  the 
term;  while  others  would  take  a  week  or  month,  perhaps 
before  they  could  settle  down  to  good  work  in  the  school 
room.  They  were  allowed  a  reasonable  credit  for  every 
day  they  worked  during  the  vacation  and  were  not  request- 
ed to  do  any  extra  work  during  the  term,  except  in  cases  of 
emergency.  The  self-help  students,  who  rendered  extra  ser- 
vice during  the  term,  dropped  one  study,  and  they  also  re- 
ceived a  reasonable  allowance  for  all  the  extra  work  they 
performed. 

JAMESTOWN  COLLEGE 
Effective  christian  work  by  students  at  home  during 
the   summer   vacation   was   admirably   illustrated   by   the 


THE  SELF-HELP  DEPARTMENT  189 

young  people  attending  the  Presbyterian  college  at  James- 
town, North  Dakota,  during  the  summer  of  1913. 

Every  student  at  the  close  of  the  term  had  formed 
the  decision  to  lead  a  christian  life.  Under  the  inspiration 
of  a  resident  lawyer,  John  Knouff,  a  number  of  them  be- 
came members  of  the  mission  band  that  had  for  its  object 
the  ingathering  of  new  scholars  into  their  own  Sabbath 
schools,  and  the  college  they  were  attending. 

The  result  was  a  very  pleasant  surprise  and  a  source 
of  great  profit  to  all  of  them.  They  reported  the  organiza- 
tion of  a  score  of  new  Sunday  schools  in  neglected  commun- 
ities, and  an  enrollment  of  1231  new  scholars  through  their 
instrumentality.  An  incidental  result  was  a  greatly  in- 
creased enrollment  of  new  students  at  the  college  they  had 
so  worthily  represented. 

SUPPORT  OF  SELF-SUPPORTING  STUDENTS 
Where  does  the  money  come  from  that  is  necessary  to 
meet  the  monthly  allowances  placed  to  the  credit  of  the 
self-help  students?    This  is  a  very  practical  question  and  a 
few  thoughts  on  it  may  be  helpful. 

When  a  farmer  employs  a  man  to  help  him  on  his  farm 
he  expects  to  pay  him  from  the  annual  cash  income,  when 
the  products  of  the  farm  are  sold.  This  would  naturally  be 
true  of  the  boys  who  do  the  farm  work  at  Oak  Hill  if  there 
was  a  surplus  to  sell ;  but  hitherto  it  has  not  been  sufficient 
to  meet  the  demands  of  the  boarding  department  and  stock. 
It  would  however  not  be  true  of  the  work  of  the  boys 
who  build  fence,  clear  new  land  or  erect  and  improve  build- 
ings. The  product  of  the  labor  of  these  students  is  a  per- 
manent improvement,  that  increases  the  value  of  the  land 
to  the  owner,  and  it  cannot  be  sold  annually  for  cash,  like 
the  products  of  the  farm. 


190  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

But  the  superintendent  has  to  pay  cash  for  the  grocer- 
ies consumed  by  these  students  the  same  as  for  the  others ; 
and  when  their  monthly  allowance  for  labor  is  transferred 
to  the  enrollment  or  other  account  book,  it  represents  an 
item  for  which  some  one  must  furnish  him  the  cash.  Where 
will  he  get  his  money?  Who  will  furnish  it  to  him?  Man- 
ifestly he  must  look  to  the  owner  of  the  property  for  it,  and 
the  owner  in  this  instance  is  the  Board  of  Missions  for 
Freedmen.  By  using  tools  and  implements  the  student  has 
been  trained  in  their  use  and  the  results  of  his  work  have 
become  a  permanent  possession  of  the  Board. 

In  as  much  as  most  permanent  improvements  do  not 
ordinarily  bring  any  direct  annual  income  to  the  Board,  but 
serve  rather  to  increase  the  facilities  of  the  school  and  pro- 
vide additional  opportunities  for  self-help,  the  question 
arises,  "Where  does  the  Board  get  the  money  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  self-supporting  students?" 

The  answer  to  this  inquiry  is,  the  Board  has  to  solicit 
and  receive  it  from  the  friends  of  christian  education. 

This  is  a  very  important  statement  and  it  is  often  not 
very  clearly  understood.  When  the  actual  cost  of  carrying 
a  student  through  a  seven  months  term  is  found  to  be 
about  $50.00  then  that  is  the  lowest  amount  that  will  en- 
able the  superintendent  to  carry  a  vacation  worker,  as  a  self- 
supporting  student,  through  the  period  of  an  entire  year. 

HOW  IT  WORKS 

There  are  some  features  of  this  problem  that  are  quite 
interesting.  The  student  that  does  the  most  for  the  perma- 
nent improvement  of  the  institution  that  has  educated  him, 
commonly  called  his  "Alma  Mater,"  or  fostering  mother, 
finds  at  the  time  of  completing  his  course,  that  by  that 


THE  SELF-HELP  DEPARTMENT  191 

means  he  has  done  most  for  himself,  by  advancing  more 
rapidly  than  others  in  the  course  of  training  and  study.  He 
has  also  done  something  in  the  way  of  increasing  the  facil- 
ities for  the  education  and  uplift  of  his  race. 

Whilst  his  employment  was  creating  a  demand  for  a 
benevolent  gift  from  some  friend  of  christian  education  he 
was  unconscious  of  that  fact,  and  is  happy  in  the  conscious- 
ness, that  he  is  earning  his  way  through  school  like  a  man ; — 
one,  who  wants  to  make  most  of  himself.  He  goes  forth 
to  enter  upon  the  duties  of  active  life  as  a  true  or  "good 
soldier"  prepared  to  "endure  hardness,"  if  necessary,  and 
ready  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  other  worthy  young  people. 
ENLARGEMENT  AND    PERMANENT    IMPROVEMENT 

The  zealous  interest  of  the  superintendent  in  this  self- 
help  industrial  department  appears  in  the  broad  foundation 
lie  endeavored  to  lay  for  it  in  the  purchase  or  so  many  acres 
for  the  Oak  Rill  farm. 

There  were  other  good  motives  that  prompted  the 
purchase  of  land,  when  the  opportunity  was  afforded  to  do 
so  at  its  virgin  price  in  1908,  such  as  provision  for  future 
supplies  of  wood  as  a  cheap  fuel,  about  twenty-five  cords 
a  year  being  needed,  and,  ample  pastures  for  the  herds  of 
cattle  and  hogs,  that  are  easily  and  profitably  raised  and 
greatly  needed,  but  the  most  urgent  motive  was  the  earnest 
desire  to  provide  an  agricultural  base  large  enough  to  en- 
able the  self-help  department  of  the  academy  to  become 
in  time  self-supporting. 

"Enlargement"  and  "permanent  improvement"  became 
the  watchwords  while  laying  the  foundation  for  this  de- 
partment. 

The  manifest  need  of  it  had  been  deeply  and  indellibly 
impressed.    The  conviction  also  prevailed  that,  when  prop- 


192  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

erly  organized  and  developed,  so  as  to  meet  their  most 
urgent  needs,  the  self-help  department  in  an  educational 
institution  works  like  a  live  magnet  in  attracting  the  pat- 
ronage of  many  worthy  young  people. 

Permanent  improvement  year  after  year  by  self-sup- 
porting students,  seeking  training  is  an  arrangement  that 
has  in  it  the  germ  of  expansion,  that  means  enlargement 
and  growth  with  passing  years.  This  was  the  ideal  to- 
wards which  we  were  moving  with  might  and  main.  We 
wanted  to  plant  the  live  magnet,  that  would  make  Oak  Hill 
an  attractive  and  pre-eminently  useful  educational  center 
for  all  the  Choctaw  Freedmen. 

There  are  no  annual  taxes  on  lands  used  for  public  or 
mission  school  purposes,  and  all  the  annual  income  tends 
to  lessen  to  the  Board,  the  local  expenses  of  the  teachers 
and  students.  The  net  income  from  the  farm  is  the  surplus 
that  remains  after  deducting  the  cost  of  management  from 
the  gross  receipts. 

Whenever  this  net  income  is  more  than  sufficient  to 
cover  the  local  support  of  the  teachers,  it  goes  toward  the 
support  of  the  self-supporting  students;  whenever  it  is 
sufficient  to  cover  all  of  their  monthly  allowances,  this  self- 
help  department  is  self-supporting;  and  special  remittances 
from  the  Eoard  will  not  then  be  needed  for  the  worthy,  in- 
dustrious and  ambitious  young  people,  in  that  department. 
The  attainment  of  this  object  is  worthy  of  noble  and  con- 
stant endeavor. 

It  is  also  worthy  of  note,  that  good  agricultural  lands, 
purchased  at  the  government  price  in  a  new  section  of  the 
country  that  is  destined  to  be  filled  with  new  settlers,  is  al- 
ways a  good  investment.    The  land  rapidly  increases  in  value 


Oak  Hill  in  1905. 


Flower  Gatherers  for  Decision  Day. 

February  22,   1910. 


D 


'^ 


THE  SELF-HELP  DEPARTMENT  193 

where  the  incoming  of  new  settlers  causes  a  rapid  increase 
in  the  population. 

This  annual  increase  in  the  value  of  new  land  is  known 
as  its  "unearned  increment."  This  unearned  increment  is 
now  accruing  to  the  Board  on  every  acre  that  has  been 
purchased.  Those  that  were  purchased  first  have  already 
doubled  in  value. 

Every  acre  of  land  added  to  the  Oak  Hill  farm  at  its 
virgin  price  means  now,  by  reason  of  its  annual  income 
and  gradual  increase  in  value,  a  live  unit  added  to  the  per- 
manent endowment  of  the  institution  and  enlarges  the  scope 
of  the  self-help  department. 

SELF-SUPPORT  MEANS  INDEPENDENCE 

The  negro  needs  to  be  taught  to  be  "self-dependent, 
self-reliant  and  self-respecting." 

Wherever  public  schools  have  been  established  and 
supplied  with  good  teachers  and  text-books,  they  have  rend- 
ered efficient  service  in  improving  the  condition  of  the  peo- 
ple. The  lack  of  text-books  has  caused  many  of  the  rural 
schools  to  prove  very  inefficient,  one  text-book  often  having 
to  serve  as  many  as  three  pupils,  Then  there  are  yet  large 
sections  of  some  of  the  southern  states  in  which  there  are 
no  public  schools  for  the  colored  people. 

In  proportion  as  the  colored  people  attain  a  general 
christian  education  and  become  progressive,  industrial 
workers,  do  they  rise  to  their  natural  inheritance;  an  in- 
heritance that  brings  to  them  what  America  now  holds  of 
freedom,  justice,  opportunity  and  benevolence  to  the  op- 
«  pressed  of  other  lands,  that  are  coming  a  million  a  year,  to 
locate  in  this  land  of  civil  and  religious  freedom. 

Among  their  essential  needs  to  self -support  are  a  fair 

7 


194  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

industrial   opportunity,   distribution,   education   and   equal 
protection  of  the  laws. 

Whenever  too  many  unskilled  workers,  in'kidiag  women 
and  children,  crowd  into  towns  and  cities,  the  number  that 
have  to  live  in  poverty -stricken  hovels  is  greatly  increased. 
Their  general  health  and  good  morals  are  also  endangered. 

Every  youth  will  do  well  to  adopt  the  thrilling  watch- 
words of  the  early  American  patriots,  ''Virtue,  Liberty,  and 
Independence." 

PARK  COLLEGE 

Rev.  John  A.  McAfee,  the  eminent  founder  of  Park  Col- 
lege, Parkville,  near  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  realizing  the 
need  of  hardy  and  energetic  ministers  during  the  pioneer 
days  of  Missouri  and  Kansas,  manifested  a  commendable 
wisdom  and  foresight  in  the  planting  of  that  institution,  by 
making  special  provision  for  the  self-help  of  those,  who 
were  candidates  for  the  ministry  and  those  wishing  to  be 
missionary  teachers.  The  self-help  department  then  estab- 
lished has  greatly  promoted  its  growth,  and  increased  its 
usefulness.  The  visitor  now  sees  a  beautiful  campus  of  20 
acres  occupied  by  massive  stone  buildings  erected  largely 
by  student  labor.  They  include  a  fine  administration  build- 
ing, chapel,  library,  observatory,  boarding  and  professors 
houses,  and  a  half  dozen  large  dormitories.  He  will  also  find 
an  attendance  of  420  students,  and  a  farm  of  500  acres 
cultivated  by  them. 

Its  worthy  representatives  in  the  ministry  may  now  be 
found  in  nearly  every  state  of  the  Union  and  many,  as  for- 
eign missionaries  and  teachers,  are  doing  a  noble  work  in 
other  lands.  A  large  proportion  of  its  most  worthy  repre- 
sentatives owe  their  present  position  and  usefulness  to  the 
opportunity  for  self-help,  provided  in  the  agricultural  and 


THE   SELF-HELP  DEPARTMENT  195 

mechanical  departments,  while  pursuing  their  studies  at 
this  classical  institution. 

It  was  founded  in  1875  and  was  named  after  Col.  George 
S.  Park,  the  friend  and  helper  of  Rev.  John  A.  McAfee.  He 
donated  the  original  college  building  and  one  hundred 
acres  of  land.  At  present  the  college  owns  1000  acres,  500 
of  which  are  in  the  college  farm.  Both  of  its  worthy  found- 
ers died  about  the  year  1890,  but  the  good  work  of  the  in- 
stitution they  planted  is  going  forward  with  annually  in- 
creasing usefulness.  Though  established  more  recently  than 
many  others,  it  is  now  very  highly  prized  as  one  of  the  most 
important  of  our  Presbyterian  colleges,  in  maintaining  the 
supply  of  well  trained  ministers  and  christian  teachers. 

A  SUGGESTION  TO  PARENTS 
Having  stated  the  aims  and  advantages  of  the  self-help 
department  the  following  suggestion  to  parents  seems  ap- 
propriate. 

If  you  have  a  bright  son  or  daughter  that  can  be  spared 
for  a  time  at  home,  take  your  child,  as  Hannah  did  Samuel, 
while  he  is  young  enough  to  learn  rapidly,  to  the  superin- 
tendent of  the  academy,  and,  if  the  way  be  clear,  enter  into 
an  agreement  as  Hannah  did,  that  he  shall  remain  there,  if 
needed,  until  he  has  completed  the  course  of  study  provided 
at  the  institution,  earning  his  expenses,  as  far  as  possible, 
by  his  own  industry. 

Regard  your  contract  as  a  matter  of  honor  and  refrain 
from  calling  him  away  when  his  services  have  begun  to  be  of 
some  value  to  the  institution,  merely  because  you  need  some 
one  to  do  a  few  day's  work.    Encourage  him  to  be  true  and 

faithful,  that  he  may  win  and  hold  the  esteem  and  confi- 
dence of  his  instructors. 

If  a  number  of  parents  will  pursue  this  policy,  the  acad- 
emy will  accomplish  its  mission  and  prove  a  boon  and  bless- 
ing to  you  as  a  people,  one  generation  serving  another. 


XXV 

INDUSTRIAL  EDUCATION 

A  TRAINING  PERIOD.— INDEPENDENT  HOMES.— DOMESTIC 
TRAINING.— HIGHLAND  PARK  COLLEGE.— BOOKER  T. 
WASHINGTON.— SAM  DALY. 

"Six  days  shalt  thou  labor  and  do  all  thy  work."  "What 
thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  thy  might." 

^^^^^/f^UBLIC  education  is  at  present  passing 
\~y  W  through  a  transition  stage.  The  emphasis 
\]J|  in  the  school  courses  of  previous  genera- 
tions was  upon  the  culture  of  the  mind  and 
the  appeal  was  made  for  a  high  classical 
training,  but  now  that  the  work  on  the  farms  as  well  as  in 
the  shops  is  largely  done  by  costly  machinery,  the  emphasis 
of  school  work  is  being  rapidly  transferred  to  the  hand,  and 
the  appeal  is  for  manual  or  vocational  training  and  domestic 
science. 

Its  aim  is  to  reach  and  train  for  a  successful  self-sup- 
porting career,  the  great  majority  of  young  people  who  can- 
not pursue  their  studies  beyond  the  fifth  to  the  eighth 
grades. 

Our  country  has  made  wonderful  progress  in  the  arts 
and  sciences  including  new  inventions,  during  the  last  half 
century.  The  scope  of  the  "Natural  Philosophy"  and  "Fa- 
miliar Science"  of  a  few  years  ago  has  been  very  greatly 
enlarged. 

The  country  has  been  spanned  and  crossed  in  every 
direction  by  great  systems  of  standard  and  interurban  rail- 

(196) 


INDUSTRIAL  EDUCATION  197 

ways,  Automobiles  are  in  popular  use  on  the  highways  and 
powerful  tractors  clo  the  threshing,  corn-shelling  and  plow- 
ing on  the  farm.  Oil  engines  and  electric  motors  are  in 
use  on  the  farms  and  in  the  homes  of  the  people.  The  last 
ol  the  good  agricultural  lands  have  been  opened  for  settle- 
ment and  are  now  occupied.  Agriculture,  animal  husbandry, 
horticulture,  dairying  and  even  housekeeping  have  been 
reduced  to  a  science,  by  the  statement  of  essential  princi- 
ples, the  same  as  in  architecture  and  civil-engineering.  Suc- 
cess in  them  depends  on  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  art, 
as  well  as  a  theoretical  knowledge  of  the  science. 

A  few  years  ago  the  pressing  demand  was  for  teachers 
and  normal  instructors  for  their  preparation.  The  demand 
for  teachers  in  constantly  increasing  numbers  continues, 
but  it  is  now  rivaled  by  the  present  demand  for  young  peo- 
ple, who  understand  the  principles  of  mechanical  construc- 
tion, whose  hands  have  been  trained  to  use  costly  and  deli- 
cate machinery  aright  and  properly  care  for  it.  Success  and 
self-support  on  the  farm  as  well  as  elsewhere  now  require 
the  trained  hand  as  well  as  the  intelligent  mind. 
INDEPENDENT  HOMES 

Self-support  is  essential  to  the  possession  of  a  perma- 
nent and  happy  home. 

No  home  can  be  permanent  while  there  is  no  assured 
means  of  support.  While  the  father  depends  on  uncertain 
day  labor  and  the  mother  knows  little  or  nothing  of  econ- 
omy in  the  household  and  even  less  about  the  care,  train- 
ing and  discipline  of  children,  there  can  be  but  little  pro- 
gress made  in  the  home  or  church  life. 

Dependent  homes  mean  dependent  churches,  while  pros- 
perous homes  mean  self-supporting  churches.  In  this  fact 
is  found  a  great  motive  for  the  church  in  her  educational 


198  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

missionary  work  to  make  suitable  provision  for  teaching  the 
young  the  useful  or  necessary  arts  of  life,  and  some  know- 
ledge of  the  sciences,  while  offering  to  them  the  bread  and 
the  water  of  life,  through  the  establishment  of  christian 
educational  institutions. 

DOMESTIC  TRAINING 

A  recent  debate  in  the  House  of  Congress  at  Washing- 
ton developed  a  unanimous  sentiment,  that  a  good  cook  is 
more  cultured  than  a  pianist,  and  that  girls  should  not  be 
allowed  piano  lessons  until  they  learn  how  to  cook  good  bis- 
cuits. We  have  read  of  girls  "whose  heads  were  stuffed 
with  useless  knowledge,  but  not  one  in  twenty  knew  the 
things  that  would  be  serviceable  to  her  through  life.  They 
could  not  sew  or  cook." 

At  Oak  Hill  it  is  different.  Every  girl  at  ten  begins  to 
take  her  monthly  turn  in  learning  to  cook,  mend  and  sew. 
She  is  taught  the  art  and  the  rules  of  these  useful  employ- 
ments the  same  as  those  of  reading,  writing  and  arthmetic 
in  the  school  room. 

The  business  of  housekeeping  is  thus  early  introduced 
to  the  mind  of  the  child,  to  awaken  its  thoughtfulness  and 
develop  efficiency  in  the  future  work  of  managing  a  home. 
This  connects  the  teaching  of  the  school  with  the  life  of  the 
home.  It  makes  the  instruction  a  real  and  practical  help 
instead  of  being  merely  theoretical.  It  affords  pleasant 
and  profitable  employment  to  the  pupils  during  spare  mo- 
ments that  would  otherwise  be  lost  in  idle  loafing  or  play. 

The  business  of  housekeeping  is  attracting  the  at- 
tention of  schools  of  learning  and  of  legislatures  more  and 
more  every  year.  Some  states,  like  Indiana,  are  making 
large  investments  to  promote  training  in  domestic  science 
in  the  schools  of  the  state.    The  great  results  achieved  in  re- 


INDUSTRIAL  EDUCATION  199 

cent  years  by  health  regulations,  in  checking  and  suppress- 
ing contagious  diseases,  have  greatly  increased  the  scope  of 
this  instruction.  It  now  includes  in  the  higher  schools,  the 
new  applications  of  the  principles  of  nutrition,  the  chem- 
istry of  cleaning  and  the  laws  of  hygiene,  or  health. 

HIGHLAND  PARK  COLLEGE 
At  Highland  Park  College,  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  having  an 
enrollment  of  2,500  young  people  in  the  capital  city  of  one  of 
our  most  highly  favored  states  in  the  valley  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, ninety-five  per  cent  of  them  never  go  beyond  the  sev- 
enth and  eighth  grades  and  only  two  percent  go  to  higher 
institutions  of  learning.  This  eminently  successful  insti- 
tution attracts  young  people  from  all  parts  of  our  land  and 
this  last  year  from  twelve  foreign  countries.  500  young 
men,  one  fifth  of  its  enrollment  are  in  shops.  This  institu- 
tion is  the  embodiment  of  the  genius  and  a  splendid  monu- 
ment to  the  memory  of  its  founder,  Dr.  0.  F.  Longwell,  who 
for  twenty-four  years  served  as  its  president,  having  pre- 
viously secured  a  remarkable  development  of  the  Western 
Normal  college  at  Shenandoah. 

BOOKER  T.  WASHINGTON 

The  industrial  scheme  of  Booker  T.  Washington  at 
Tuskeegee  is  an  intelligent  negro's  idea  of  what  the  illiterate 
negro  needs  to  help  himself.  It  is  undoubtedly  the  best 
scheme  to  enable  him  to  attain  self  support. 

Started  as  a  private  enterprise  its  patronage  soon  over- 
taxed its  equipment  of  buildings  and  attracted  public  aid 
from  the  legislature  of  Alabama,  and  later  large  gifts 
from  many  wealthy  people  in  our  larger  northern  cities, 
some  of  whom  endeavor  to  visit  it  once  a  year  to  note  its  an- 
nual progress  and  needs. 


200  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

The  remarkable  success  of  this  industrial  institution 
and  the  immeasurable  amount  of  good  it  has  already  done, 
during  the  lifetime  of  its  founder,  in  bettering  the  temporal 
welfare  of  thousands  of  colored  people  in  the  south,  have 
tended  to  make  it  the  most  prominent  illustration  of  prac- 
tical and  successful  industrial  education  among  the  colored 
people  of  this  or  any  other  land. 

SAM  DALY 
Sam  Daly  of  Tuscaloosa,  an  illiterate  janitor  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Alabama,  previous  to  1903,  and  died  at  Atlanta, 
while  attending  the  Presbyterian  General  Assembly  in  May 
1913,  is  a  splendid  illustration  of  what  one  may  do  for  the 
good  of  his  race. 

At  the  time  of  his  death  he  left  to  be  cared  for  by 
others  a  500  acre  farm  of  his  own,  fourteen  miles  from  town 
on  which  he  was  voluntarily  caring  for  270  convicted  and 
vice  steeped  colored  boys  from  the  cities  of  that  state. 

He  established  an  industrial  school  for  boys  on  his 
own  farm,  to  save  convicted  and  bad  boys  from  prison ;  re- 
ceived them  from  the  police  judges  and  conveyed  them  to 
the  farm.  They  had  become  a  nuisance  and  burden  to  the 
public,  but  he  housed,  fed  and  clothed  this  large  family 
without  receiving  a  dollar  of  public  funds  of  Jefferson  coun- 
ty; and  from  the  church,  only  forty  dollars,  for  a  sleeping 
room  for  them  and  the  salary  of  a  teacher.  The  rest  of 
their  support  was  obtained  from  their  daily  toil  on  the  farm. 

At  last  the  number  of  boys  and  the  cost  of  keeping  them 
became  so  great,  he  was  compelled  for  their  sakes  to  put 
a  mortgage  of  eighteen  hundred  dollars  on  his  farm.  This 
impelled  him  to  go  to  the  Assembly  (South)  to  make  an 
appeal  for  funds.  Unfortunately  he  suddenly  became  ill 
and  died  before  he  was  able  to  make  his  appeal.     His  last 


INDUSTRIAL  EDUCATION 


201 


words  were:  "Take  care — take  good  care  ob  mah  little 
niggahs !" 

He  had  saved,  by  industrial  occupation  and  farming, 
for  good  citizenship  in  Alabama,  three  hundred  boys  convict- 
ed of  crimes  and  misdemeanors.  It  was  a  sad  disappoint- 
ment to  him  that  he  was  unable  to  present  to  the  Assembly 
an  appeal  on  behalf  of  those  still  under  his  care. 

Sam  Daly  was  a  good  janitor,  but  when  he  began  to 
make  good  men  of  useless  and  bad  boys,  his  value  to  the  state 
of  Alabama  was  increased  many  fold.  This  brief  record  of 
his  generous,  energetic  and  heroic  work  is  made  that  it 
may  serve  as  an  inspiration  to  devise  other  similar  ways  of 
being  useful  and  helpful. 


XXVI 

PERMANENT  IMPROVEMENTS. 

PAINTING  BOYS  HALL.— SURFACE  DRAINAGE.— ORCHARD  IN 
1906.— HOG  HOUSES.— SHEDS  FOR  HAY  AND  THE  STOCK 
HOGS.— OAK  BRIDGES.— TEMPORARY  BOYS  HALL.— AD- 
DITION TO  THE  ACADEMY.— GOOD  FENCES  AROUND  THE 
CAMPUS.— GARDEN,  STOCK  YARD  AND  CULTIVATED 
FIELDS.— ELLIOTT  HALL.— PULLING  STUMPS. 

"So  built  we  the  wall;  for  the  people  had  a  mind  to 
work."     Nehemiah. 

>HE  improvements  undertaken  and  completed 
by  means  of  the  student  help  began  with 
the  removal  of  old  rubbish,  the  accumula- 
tion of  years,  and  the  impenetrable  briar 
thickets  near  the  buildings. 
During  the  latter  part  of  the  first  spring  term  in  1905  the 
boys  applied  two  good  coats  of  lead  and  oil  in  cream  and 
white  to  the  Boys'  Hall.  The  work  was  well  done  although 
it  was  the  first  work  of  the  kind  any  of  them  had  ever  at- 
tempted. The  appearance  of  the  building  was  greatly  im- 
proved, and  every  boy  was  delighted  to  find  how  quickly 
the  painter's  art  could  be  learned. 

The  black  picket  and  crooked  worm  fences  around  the 
buildings  were  then  removed  and  replaced  with  good 
board  and  wire  fences.  The  extent  of  good  and  substantial 
fences,  erected  during  this  period,  aggregate  about  100 
rods  of  board  and  picket  fences  around  the  campus,  garden 
and  stock  yards ;  12  large  farm  gates,  all  hung  between  tall 
posts  with  overhead  tie;  and  780  rods  of  web  and  barb 

(202) 


PERMANENT  IMPROVEMENTS  203 

wire  fence;  all  set  with  good  Bodark  or  Locust  posts,  top 
down  and  reenforced  with  a  strong  oak  stub  in  every  pan- 
el, making  a  valuable  permanent  improvement. 

In  March  1906  a  young  orchard  was  planted  consisting 
of  50  trees,  that  include  a  number  of  the  best  varieties  of 
apples  and  peaches  suited  for  that  section.  These  were 
supplemented  with  a  similar  lot  in  1913. 

The  purchase  of  lands,  begun  in  1908,  as  soon  as  the 
restrictions  were  removed,  was  continued  until  1912  when 
the  aggregate  included  fifteen  different  purchases,  making 
270  acres  and  costing  $2050.00. 

Twenty-five  acres  were  cleared  of  previously  ringed 
and  dead  trees  and  thirty  more  were  enclosed  and  cleared 
of  underbrush  and  useless  trees. 

The  surface  drainage  work  begun  in  1905  and  complet- 
ed in  1912,  included  outlets  to  all  the  little  ponds  near  the 
buildings,  the  deepening  of  the  artificial  pond  north  of  the 
buildings,  a  deep  drain  with  branches  through  the  meadow 
and  another  one  through  a  large  slough  at  the  northwest 
corner  of  the  farm. 

BUILDINGS 

The  first  building  erected  was  a  log  house  24x32  feet 
with  a  good  cistern  in  1906,  and  for  the  number  of  its  con- 
veniences it  is  an  excellent  model.  A  cut  and  description 
of  it  will  be  found  in  the  latter  part  of  this  volume. 

A  new  shed  was  also  built  that  year,  on  the  east  side  of 
the  commons,  for  the  convenient,  daily  care  of  the  growing 
herd  in  the  pastures. 

In  1907  a  belfry  and  farm  bell  were  put  on  the  comb  of 
the  roof  of  the  first  girls'  hall.  An  axle  was  obtained  and 
a  wooden  wheel  and  frame  were  made  for  the  large  old 
bell,  and  it  was  then  mounted  in  the  tower  of  the  chapel. 


204  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

The  new  highway  along  the  railroad  to  Valliant  was 
cleared  of  trees  and  the  materials  converted  into  posts  and 
fuel.  Two  substantial  oak  bridges,  five  and  ten  feet  long 
respectively,  were  constructed  over  the  streams  on  this 
road  to  make  it  passable  for  the  loaded  Oak  Hill  team 
during  term  time. 

A  string  of  hay  sheds,  64x16  feet,  was  constructed  on 
the  south  side  of  the  feed  lot  and  two  portable  racks  for 
feeding  hay  and  fodder  economically  and  conveniently 
from  the  sheds. 

In  1908  the  enrollment  having  reached  115,  the  seat- 
ing capacity  of  the  academy  was  increased  by  lifting  all 
the  seats  and  adding  an  additional  row  of  thirteen  double 
seats  to  their  number.  The  academy  was  then  painted 
two  coats  inside  and  outside  and  the  woodwork  of  the  old 
desks  was  brightened  and  tinted  to  correspond  with  the 
new  ones.  These  improvements  made  it  look  more  beauti- 
ful and  attractive  than  ever  before. 

The  porches  on  the  south  and  west  sides  of  the  girls 
hall  were  repaired  by  the  insertion  of  new  joists  where 
needed  and  the  laying  of  new  floors. 

TEMPORARY  BOYS'  HALL 

In  1909,  the  Boys'  Hall  having  been  lost  a  few  days 
after  the  opening  of  the  term,  November  8,  1908,  a  tem- 
porary boys'  hall  55x24  feet  was  hastily  constructed,  its 
dedication  taking  place  Feb.  28,  1909,  after  an  address  by 
Rev.  Wiley  Homer  of  Grant.  This  meeting  was  held  on 
a  beautiful  Sabbath  afternoon  and  the  speakers  and  sing- 
ers occupied  the  wide  platform  on  the  west  end  of  the 
building.  This  building  was  erected  entirely  by  the  stu- 
dent boys.  The  materials  in  it  cost  $410  and  it  had  apart- 
ments for  an    office,   one    teacher    and  twenty-five    boys. 


PERMANENT  IMPROVEMENTS  205 

It  was  intended  as  a  place  for  the  workmen  while  erecting 
a  new  hall  for  the  boys,  the  material  in  it  then  to  be  used 
in  lining  the  new  building. 

The  blistered  condition  of  the  front  of  the  girls'  hall 
and  academy  from  the  intense  heat  of  the  fire  were  then 
relieved  by  a  thorough  scraping,  sandpapering  and  re- 
painting. 

Owing  to  the  limited  accommodations  for  the  boys  in 
this  building,  and  for  the  large  number  of  pupils  in  the 
primary  department  in  the  academy,  an  extension  of 
twelve  feet,  with  an  upper  room  for  special  students,  was 
added  that  fall  to  thr  academy.  While  this  improvement 
was  under  construction,  other  boys  built  a  new  wood  shed, 
obtained  in  the  timber  and  prepared  the  supplies  of  fuel, 
and  built  170  rods  of  new  fence.  A  considerable  quanti- 
ty of  sand  was  also  hauled  for  the  foundation  of  the  new 
hall  for  the  boys. 

ELLIOTT  HALL 

In  1910,  the  erection  of  Elliott  Hall  became  a  necessity 
after  the  disastrous  fire  which  occurred  on  March  13th. 
This  building  is  80x32  feet,  with  an  extension  6x32  feet, 
in  front,  and  a  two  story  addition  18x16  feet,  for  kitchen 
store  and  bath  rooms,  at  the  northwest  corner  over  a 
large  brick-walled  cistern. 

This  building  absorbed  the  attention  of  all  for  more 
than  a  year,  although  it  was  opened  for  occupancy  on  No- 
vember 14th.  It  was  a  great  undertaking  with  the  few 
workmen  obtainable.  The  clearing  away  of  the  rubbish, 
the  excavation  for  the  cellar  28x75  feet  and  the  construc- 
tion of  the  foundation  wall,  and  the  same  for  the  large  cis- 
tern took  a  good  deal  more  time  than  was  expected,  and 
all  of  it  was  heavy  and  hard  work  for  every  one  that  par- 


206  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

ticipated  in  it.  It  was  the  15th  of  June  when  the  cement 
wall  around  the  main  part  of  the  foundation  was  complet- 
ed by  the  superintendent,  who  placed  the  rock,  cement  and 
reinforcing  materials  in  the  walls  with  his  own  hands  as 
a  precaution  against  defects. 

The  construction  of  the  frame  work  was  entrusted  to 
Samuel  A.  Folsom,  who,  acting  as  foreman  of  the  carpen- 
ters, succeeded  in  getting  the  building  ready  for  occupancy 
at  the  end  of  five  months,  or  November  14th.  So  great, 
however,  was  the  amount  of  unfinished  work  in  the  halls 
and  rooms  upstairs  and  of  cement  lining  needed  for  the 
excavation  walls  in  the  cellar  that  a  considerable  number 
of  students  were  employed  principally  at  this  work  during 
that  and  the  following  term. 

Every  part  of  the  work  on  this  building  was  very 
faithfully  performed.  It  is  a  creditable  monument  to  the 
memory  of  every  one  that  wrought  upon  it.  It  is  symmet- 
rical and,  though  plain,  is  handsome  in  appearance  and 
very  convenient  in  its  uses;  as  an  administration  building, 
girls  dormitory  and  boarding  house.  The  lumber  was  fur- 
nished and  delivered  by  J.  R.  Bowles  of  Swink;  David 
Folsom  made  the  window  and  door  frames;  Solomon  Bu- 
chanan served  as  foreman  of  the  painters,  and  he  and 
George  Stewart  built  the  walls  of  the  cistern  and  the  first 
story  of  the  chimneys.  Edward  Hollingsworth,  in  addi- 
tion to  important  work  on  other  parts  of  the  building, 
served  as  foreman  of  the  construction  of  the  stairways, 
belfry  and  porches.  It  represents  an  expenditure  of  $6,500 
in  cash  and  student  labor.  This  does  not  include  the  ser- 
vices of  the  superintendent,  who  had  previously  prepared 
the  plans  for  the  building  and  personally  superintended 
its  construction. 


PERMANENT  IMPROVEMENTS      207 

LATER  IMPROVEMENTS 

During  1911  and  1912  while  some  were  putting  the 
finishing  touches  on  Elliott  Hall,  the  last  being  the  inser- 
tion of  the  fixtures  in  the  two  bath  rooms  and  the  construc- 
tion of  a  closed  room  in  the  cellar  for  canned  fruit  and 
vegetables,  the  other  boys  removed  the  old  oak  stumps 
from  the  north  field,  drained  a  slough  covering  four  acres 
of  land,  cleaned  twenty  acres  of  land  for  cultivation  and  built 
160  rods  of  good  fence  around  it.  They  also  built  a  pretty 
and  very  convenient  semi-monitor  hen  house,  with  open 
front  and  two  out-yards. 

PULLING  STUMPS 

During  the  month  of  March,  when  the  ground  was 
moist  and  favorable,  a  squad  of  the  larger  boys  would  some- 
times be  equipped  and  employed  in  pulling  stumps,  This 
was  a  new  employment  for  all  of  them,  but  they  soon  learned 
to  make  a  cheering  success  of  it. 

The  working  outfit  consisted  of  two  levers,  a  very  large 
and  a  smaller  one,  a  log  chain,  sixty  feet  of  inch  rope,  and 
for  each  of  the  workmen  a  shovel  and  an  axe.  The  method 
of  procedure  was  to  assign  them  in  teams  of  two  each,  to 
remove  the  earth  from  around  a  lot  of  stumps  to  the  width 
and  depth  of  about  eighteen  inches,  The  larger  lever,  hav- 
ing the  middle  fold  of  rope  attached  to  its  smaller  end, 
was  placed  in  a  vertical  position  at  the  lower  side  of  the 
stump  and  firmly  fastened  to  its  crown  with  a  log  chain, 
the  latter  passing  over  its  top  from  the  opposite  side. 
The  small  lever  was  placed  in  position  at  the  side  opposite 
the  larger  one,  for  the  use  of  the  foreman.  When  all  the 
boys,  in  two  lines  facing  each  other,  had  hold  of  the  ends 
of  the  rope  and  the  signal  was  given,  "Ready  for  a  pull," 
something  was  sure  to  happen;  usually  the  uprooting  of 


L 


208  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

the  stump,  but  sometimes  the  breaking  of  the  log  chain, 
which  was  sure  to  result  in  making  a  good  natured  pile  of 
the  boys.  The  team  did  the  pulling  the  first  half  day,  but 
the  boys  did  it  afterwards,  because  they  were  more  avail- 
able and  enjoyed  it. 

WALL  OF  ELLIOTT  HALL 

The  concrete  wall  under  Elliott  Hall,  built  by  the  sup- 
erintendent and  student  boys  in  the  spring  of  1910,  was  the 
first  work  of  that  kind  in  this  section  of  the  country.  The 
sand  was  found  and  obtained  without  cost  along  a  stream 
in  the  neighboring  timber.  The  filler  consisted  of  rock  and 
broken  brick  from  the  chimneys  of  the  three  buildings  that 
that  had  been  previously  consumed  by  fire,  and  they  were 
incorporated  in  the  wall  by  hand.  The  iron  used  for  rein- 
forcing the  concrete  was  all  obtained  from  the  scrap  pile 
of  the  burned  buildings.  The  processes,  or  methods  of  pro- 
cedure, were  new  to  all  the  workmen.  As  the  work  advanced 
it  called  forth  expressions  of  distrust,  rather  than  confidence 
and  commendation.  The  mixing  of  materials  had  to  be 
strictly  forbidden  save  in  the  presence  of  the  superintend- 
ent, whose  hands  afterwards  placed  them  in  position  on 
the  wall. 

After  the  lapse  of  four  years  this  wall  is  solid  as  a  rock 
in  every  respect.  It  has  now  the  reputation  of  being  not 
only  the  first,  but  also  to  this  date  one  of  the  most  perfect 
and  substantial  ccncrete  walls  in  that  section. 

WORKING  ACCORDING  TO   RULE 
An  expert  carpenter  has  observed,  "It  takes  the  aver- 
age apprentice  about  one  year  to  discover,  that  he  does  not 
know  how  to  drive  a  nail  with  the  skill  of  an  expert;"  one 
who  drives  it  through  hard  woods  without  bending  and 


PERMANENT  IMPROVEMENTS  209 

brittle,  without  splitting.  This  skill  is  however  always 
more  quickly  acquired,  when  a  rule  like  the  following  is  giv- 
en the  apprentice  at  the  beginning  of  his  training.  "Gripp- 
ing the  hammer  near  the  end  of  the  handle  and  setting  the 
nail  slightly  slanting  from  the  edges  toward  the  solid  cent- 
er, strike  the  top  of  it  fairly  with  the  center  of  the  ham- 
mer, starting  and  finishing  it  with  gentle  taps." 

Whenever  a  new  tool  or  implement  was  put  in  the  hand 
of  a  student,  the  rules  governing  its  use  were  fully  ex- 
plained, and  a  constant  effort  was  made  to  have  the  student 
do  all  work  by  rule ;  whether  it  was  on  the  farm,  in  the  kitch- 
en, laundry  or  shop,  as  well  as  in  the  class  room.  The  es- 
sential parts  of  the  text  books,  that  were  reviewed  most 
frequently,  were  the  definitions  and  rules.  A  good  position 
is  the  first  essential  in  reading,  writing,  speaking,  sawing, 
planing  or  plowing;  and  the  second  is  to  grasp  and  use 
aright  the  tool  or  implement,  whether  it  be  the  pen,  pencil, 
brush,  axe,  hammer  or  saw.  The  good  effect  of  patiently 
taking  the  time  to  make  every  one  familiar  with  the  rules 
governing  the  tools  and  work,  became  noticeable  very  soon 
on  the  part  of  the  older  students,  both  in  the  better  quality 
of  the  work  and  the  larger  amount  of  it  performed.  Pro- 
gress in  studies  and  success  in  the  shop  or  field  depends 
largely  on  the  ability  to  follow  the  rule,  and  the  decision 
never  to  violate  it. 


XXVII 

ELLIOTT  HALL 

THE   GIRLS  HALL  LOST  AND  REPLACED.— OLD   LOG  HOUSE 
—DAVID  ELLIOTT.— ALICE  LEE  ELLIOTT. 

"Be  noble!  and  the  nobleness  that  lies  in  other  men, 
sleeping  but  never  dead,  will  rise  in  majesty  to  meet  thine 
own." — Lowell. 

LOSS  OF  THE  GIRLS  HALL 
>N  Sabbath  afternoon,  March  13,  1910,  as  we 
left  the  chapel  at  the  close  of  a  very  delight- 
ful and  profitable  Bible  Memory  service,  a 
cloud  of  black  smoke  was  seen  moving  rap- 
idly around  the  buildings  across  the  view 
before  us  and  suggesting  a  fire  in  one  of  the  buildings.  It 
was  a  sad  and  sickening  surprise.  Quickly  the  word  was 
passed,  "The  Girls'  Hall  is  on  fire."  Rushing  into  this  build- 
ing to  locate  and  if  possible  to  suppress  the  conflagration,  we 
found  it  had  originated  on  the  third  floor,  and  that  a  tub  of 
water  had  already  been  applied  to  it  by  attendants  in  the 
building,  without  any  hope  of  checking  it,  as  the  flames 
were  spreading  rapidly  over  the  dry  roof,  fanned  by  a  strong 
breeze  from  the  west.  The  roof  was  inaccessible  both  from 
the  inside  and  the  outside,  and  in  a  very  few  minutes  both 
sides  of  it  were  covered  with  a  fiery  sheet  of  low,  devouring 
flame  similar  to  that  occasionally  seen,  when  fire  sweeps 
rapidly  over  ground  covered  with  dry  underbrush. 

In  a  very  little  while  the  entire  building  was  consumed, 
and  with  it  the  laundry,  smokehouse,  old  log  house,  new 
woodhouse,  stock  tank,  ten  rods  of  the  campus  fence,  fif- 

(210) 


ELLIOTT  HALL  211 

teen  cords  of  wood,  the  food  supplies  on  hand  and  nearly 
all  the  furniture  and  equipment  of  the  Girls'  Hall,  the  home 
of  the  institution. 

A  fair  estimate  of  the  loss  sustained  is  as  follows :  Girls' 
Hall  36x56,  $2550:  contents,  $1175;  other  buildings  and 
contents,  $250;  total  $3975. 

The  girls  rooming  on  the  second  story,  obedient  to 
instruction,  hastened  to  their  rooms  and  secured  all  their 
effects,  but  six  that  were  rooming  on  the  third  story  lost 
their  trunks  and  extra  clothing. 

It  is  impossible  to  describe  how  deeply  was  felt  the  loss 
of  everything  at  this  time,  coming  as  it  did  so  soon  after  the 
loss  of  the  Boys'  Hall  in  1908.  It  had  been  the  comfortable 
home  of  the  Oak  Hill  family  since  1889.  To  the  superin- 
tendent it  meant  not  merely  the  loss  of  the  property,  a  kind 
of  loss  that  is  always  more  or  less  deeply  felt,  but  a  check 
of  several  years  upon  plans  outlined  for  the  permanent  im- 
provement of  the  work  of  the  institution. 

This  loss  was  a  staggering  blow  to  the  superintendent 
until  he  learned  the  next  day  that  the  matron,  Miss  Weimar, 
with  the  cooperation  of  Miss  Hall,  was  willing  to  practice  the 
self  denial  needed  to  make  a  heroic  effort  to  recover  from 
it.  When  this  information  was  received,  twenty  of  the  lar- 
ger girls  were  constrained  to  remain,  while  the  rest  were 
sent  home.  Some  of  these  were  provided  for  in  the  second 
story  of  an  addition  to  the  academy  building,  then  nearly 
completed,  and  the  school  room  under  it  served  for  a  dining 
room  and  kitchen.  The  school  work  was  resumed  the  next 
day,  under  Miss  Hall  with  student  assistants.  The  girls 
that  remained  proved  helpful  in  executing  the  extra  work 
then  necessary,  and  the  experience  of  self  denial  no  doubt 
proved  a  profitable  one  to  them. 


212  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

The  old  log  farm  house  46x16  feet,  was  the  last  of  the 
four  Oak  Hill  buildings  to  yield  to  the  flames.  It  was  built 
by  the  Choctaw  Indians  about  the  year  1840,  soon  after  they 
were  transferred  from  Mississippi.  It  was  very  substantial- 
ly constructed  and  by  skilled  workmen,  who  no  doubt  came 
from  Fort  Towson.  The  Girls'  Hall  stood  between  it  and  the 
well,  indicated  by  the  aermotor  east  of  it. 

This  building  was  the  pioneer  home  of  the  academy. 
The  stages  of  progress  in  its  use  were  as  follows.  The  na- 
tive school  was  transferred  to  it  in  1884.  Eliza  Hartford 
began  to  occupy  it  in  1886,  first  as  a  day  school,  and  three 
months  later  as  her  home  with  a  boarding  school.  In  the 
fall  of  1887,  a  kitchen  was  added  to  the  west  end  of  it,  and 
it  was  then  used  as  a  home  for  the  teachers  and  girls,  and 
the  school  was  transferred  to  the  new  school  building.  Two 
years  later  it  became  a  dormitory  for  the  boys.  After  1895 
it  was  used  for  storage,  a  smith  and  carpenter  shop.  The 
picture  showing  it  on  fire  is  from  a  photograph  taken 
by  Miss  Weimer,  after  the  roof  had  fallen  and  the  Girls' 
Hall  was  entirely  consumed. 

DAVID  ELLIOTT 

The  erection  of  the  fine  building  known  as  Elliott  Hall, 
was  made  possible  by  the  receipt  of  a  gift  of  $5,000  from 
Mr.  David  Elliott,  of  LaFayette,  Indiana,  who  expressed 
the  desire  that  a  school  might  be  established  among  the 
Freedmen  that  would  be  a  memorial  of  Alice  Lee  Elliott, 
deceased,  his  previously  devoted  wife.  It  was  dedicated  to 
her  memory  on  June  13,  1912. 

Elliott  Hall  is  now  the  commodious  and  comfortable 
home  of  the  Oak  Hill  family.  It  provides  a  convenient  office 
for  the  superintendent,  library  and  reception  room,  places 
for  the  boarding  and  laundry  departments,  rooms  and  bath 


ELLIOTT  HALL  213 

rooms  for  the  girls.  It  occupies  a  beautiful  and  command- 
ing position  on  the  gentle  elevation  known  as  Oak  Hill.'  It 
stands  on  the  very  site  previously  occupied  by  the  old  log 
house,  but  parallel  with  the  survey  lines.  It  forms  a  center 
around  which  all  other  needed  buildings  can  be  convenient- 
ly and  permanently  located. 

Elliott  Hall  is  the  largest  and  finest  of  the  buildings 
hitherto  erected  at  the  academy,  and  the  first  of  the  larger 
ones  to  be  built  by  the  local  Freedmen.  This  noteworthy 
achievement,  occurring  so  soon  after  the  reopening  in  1905, 
and  the  introduction  of  industrial  training  in  the  shop  as 
well  as  on  the  farm,  is  suggestive  of  the  real  and  substan- 
tial progress  made  by  the  young  men. 

It  is  also  an  encouragement  to  every  patron  of  this  in- 
stitution, for  it  practically  illustrates  the  progress  that  may 
be  made  by  every  thoughtful  and  industrious  youth.  In 
view  of  the  fact  that  there  are  few  or  no  opportunities  for 
the  young  Freedmen  to  learn  carpentry  and  painting  else- 
where in  its  vicinity,  this  achievement  becomes  one  in 
which  every  Freedman  may  justly  manifest  a  laudable  pride 
and  express  devout  thanksgiving. 

The  memorial  offering  of  Mr.  Elliott,  that  made  it  pos- 
sible, is  the  largest  individual  donation  yet  made  to  this 
institution.  It  came  at  a  time  of  our  saddest  and  greatest 
need.  It  is  a  gift  to  be  very  greatly  appreciated.  Every 
Freedman  in  the  region  of  country  benefited  and  blessed 
by  this  institution,  may  well  be  profoundly  thankful  for 
this  manifestation  of  personal  interest  in  your  intellectual 
and  material  welfare. 

ALICE  LEE  ELLIOTT 
Mrs.  Alice  Lee  Elliott,  in  memory  of  whom  Elliott  Hall 
and  the  Oak  Hill  Industrial  Academy  were  named  in  1910, 


214  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

was  the  faithful  and  devoted  wife  of  David  Elliott,  an  elder 
of  the  Spring  Grove  Presbyterian  church  near  LaFayette, 
Indiana.  She  was  the  daughter  of  John  and  Maria  Ritchey, 
who  left  Ohio  soon  after  their  marriage  to  found  a  new  home 
of  their  own  on  the  frontier  in  Indiana.  She  was  born, 
January  7,  1846,  and  was  called  to  her  rest  in  her  sixty- 
first  year,  June  27,  1906. 

She  received  a  good  education  in  her  youth  and  her 
marriage  occurred  March  2,  1875.  Three  years  later  she 
became  a  member  of  the  Dayton  Presbyterian  church,  of 
which  her  husband  was  already  a  member,  and  at  once  be- 
came an  earnest  and  zealous  christian  worker. 

When  in  later  years  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elliott  transferred 
their  membership  to  Spring  Grove  Presbyterian  church, 
because  their  services  were  more  greatly  needed  there,  she 
became  a  very  successful  teacher  in  the  Sabbath  school  and 
an  enthusiastic  leader  in  their  missionary  work. 

She  was  amiable  and  winsome.  Although  she  lived 
amid  the  surroundings  of  wealth,  she  was  the  constant 
friend  and  helper  of  ali  classes.  Her  home  was  always  a 
delightful  retreat  for  the  ministers  of  the  gospel  and  those 
who  represented  worthy  causes  of  benovelence  and  charity. 
The  Bible,  the  favorite  family  church  paper  and  the  mis- 
sionary magazine  were  always  on  the  center  table  and  read 
regularly. 

She  was  animated  with  the  noble  desire  to  be  em- 
inently useful  and  took  advantage  of  every  opportunity  to 
benefit  and  bless  others.  Others  were  captivated  and  en- 
thused by  her  happy,  hopeful  spirit,  and  have  accorded  to 
her  this  beautiful  tribute,  "Many  daughters  have  done 
virtuously,  but  thou  excellest  them  all." 

When  her  voice  became  silent  and  her  eyelids  closed  in 


ELLIOTT  HALL  215 

death  it  seemed  to  her  surviving  husband  that  she  was  wor- 
thy and  the  world  would  be  made  better  by  the  erection  of  a 
living  or  useful,  as  well  as  granite  memorial.  Accordingly 
when  her  last  earthly  resting  place  was  duly  marked  with  an 
appropriate  granite  memorial,  he  made  a  donation  of  $5000 
to  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Missions  for  Freedmen,  for 
the  establishment  of  an  educational  institution  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  colored  people  of  this  land,  that  should  bear  her 
name. 

After  the  loss  by  fire  of  two  of  the  main  buildings  at 
Oak  Hill  Industrial  Academy  in  1908  and  1910,  this  fund 
was  used  for  the  erection  of  a  main  building — Elliott  Hall 
— and  the  school  has  since  been  called  the  Alice  Lee  Elliott 
Memorial. 

The  Bible  and  shorter  catechism  are  to  be  regularly 
and  faithfully  taught  to  all  pupils,  as  fundamental  in  the 
development  of  a  good  moral  character.  The  hope  is  in- 
dulged that  the  beautiful  story  of  her  unselfish  and  emin- 
ently useful  life  will  prove  an  incentive  to  constant,  noble 
endeavor  on  the  part  of  every  one  that  enjoys  the  privi- 
leges of  the  institution  that  now  bears  her  honored  name. 
ENDOWMENT 

Other  friends  who  have  it  in  mind  to  leave  a  legacy  to 
this  greatly  needed  institution,  will  do  well  to  consider  the 
propriety,  if  possible,  of  sending  the  funds  to  the  Freed- 
men's  Board  while  living,  as  Mr.  Elliott  did,  and  receive  from 
the  Board,  if  desired,  an  endowment  bond  bearing  interest 
payable  annually  to  the  donor,  during  the  continuance  of 
the  donor's  life.  By  this  arrangement  the  gift  becomes  a 
profitable  source  of  annual  support  to  the  donor,  and  an  im- 
mediate benefit  to  the  institution,  without  costs  and  dis- 
counts. 


XXVIII 

UNFAVORABLE  CIRCUMSTANCES 

LOSS  OF  HELPERS  AND  BUILDINGS.— BOLL  WEEVIL.— STATE- 
HOOD CHANGES.— EFFICIENT  SERVICE  REQUIRED.— 
INFERENCES.— BURDENS  AND   FRIENDS. 

"All  these  things  are  against  me." — Jacob. 
i^^^^^/fJHE  new  era,  that  had  been  so  auspiciously 
^"  continued  for  three  years,  and  gave  promise 
of  rapid  and  substantial  material  develop- 
ment, was  destined  soon  to  be  interrupted 
by  the  experience  of  three  dark  days  that 
occurred,  one  soon  after  the  other. 

On  June  5,  1908,  one  week  after  the  end  of  the  term  and 
after  three  and  one  half  years  of  faithful  and  efficient  serv- 
ice as  a  matron,  the  death  of  Miss  Adelia  M.  Eaton  occurred 
at  the  institution. 

On  the  7th  of  November  following  the  Boys'  Hall,  and 
most  of  its  contents  were  consumed  by  fire. 

In  the  spring  of  1909  Mrs.  Flickinger  experienced  a  ser- 
ious injury  by  falling  from  the  open  conveyance  while  on  the 
way  to  Valliant,  and,  going  home  for  treatment  during  the 
summer  was  unable  to  return  in  the  fall  and  resume  her 
former  duties. 

On  March  13,  1910,  the  Girls'  Hall,  laundry,  smoke- 
house, wood  house  and  Old  Log  House,  together  with  most 
of  their  contents,  suddenly  disappeared  in  smoke. 

Nothing  was  then  left  of  this  cherished  and  promising 
institution,  except  the  chapel,  temporary  hall  for  the  boys, 

(216) 


UNFAVORABLE  CIRCUMSTANCES 


217 


built  the  previous  year,  and  a  lot  of  ashes  and  burned  rub- 
bish, the  sight  of  which  suggested  the  loss  of  comforts  and 
working  outfit;  hopes  and  plans  indefinitely  deferred  if  not 
completely  blasted,  and  the  expenditure  of  a  vast  amount 
of  labor  and  time  to  replace  and  refurnish  the  buildings 
destroyed;  and  the  utter  impossibility  of  any  immediate 
recovery  from  the  oft-repeated  and  fatal  checks  imposed 
on  the  enrollment,  ever  since  the  loss  of  the  Boys'  Hall  in 
1908. 


BOYS'  HALL  1895-1908 

Two  rays  of  light  relieved  the  darkness  of  the  gloom 
that  followed  the  experience  of  these  staggering  losses. 

(1).  All  of  the  lady  helpers  manifested  the  real  spirit 
of  missionary  heroes.  Presuming  they  were  greatly  need- 
ed during  the  period  of  reconstruction,  instead  of  running 
away  when  there  seemed  to  be  no  suitable  place  for  them, 


218  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

they  discovered  a  readiness  to  suggest  possible  and  accept- 
able arrangements  for  their  comfort.  (2)  There  was  also 
available  for  assistance,  a  clever  squad  of  intelligent  and 
trained  student  boys,  one  of  whom,  having  served  for  a 
term  as  an  assistant  teacher,  was  believed  to  be  capable 
of  serving  as  a  foreman  of  the  carpenters;  thus  making  it 
possible  to  erect  buildings  entirely  by  the  aid  of  colored 
workmen  and  principally  by  student  labor. 
THE  BOLL  WEEVIL 

In  1903  the  Mexican  boll  weevil  in  its  northward  mi- 
gration from  Brownsville,  Texas,  crossed  Red  river  and, 
during  the  next  seven  years,  continued  to  deprive  the  farm- 
ers in  the  country  north  of  that  river  of  all  profit  on  the 
cotton,  their  principal  money  crop;  and  greatly  to  injure 
the  corn,  their  food  crop.  These  long  repeated  ravages  of 
the  weevil  came  at  a  time  when  the  colored  people  were  by 
no  means  prepared  to  meet  them. 

In  1904  and  1905  they  had  been  allotted  40  acres  of 
unimproved  timber  lands  appraised  at  $3.25  an  acre,  or  $130. 
The  allotment  was  the  occasion  of  many  changes  in  their 
location.  They  were  really  pioneer  settlers,  in  their  own 
native  country  and  without  funds  to  make  needed  improve- 
ments. They  were  happy  in  the  possession  of  a  home  they 
could  call  their  own,  and  entertained  great  hopes  for  the 
future.  But  this  new  and  destructive  pest,  year  after  year 
for  seven  years,  completely  checked  the  prosperity  they  had 
so  hopefully  anticipated.  The  years  came  and  went  and 
they  had  nothing  to  sell  worthy  of  mention  to  bring  them 
money. 

In  April  1905,  at  the  first  meeting  of  the  Presbytery 
after  the  reopening,  many  of  the  colored  people  voluntarily 
and  enthusiastically  united  in  making  pledges  for  the  pur- 


UNFAVORABLE  CIRCUMSTANCES     219 

chase  of  the  land  needed  for  the  buildings  and  farm  at  Oak 
Hill.  But  of  the  many  generous  hearted  friends,  who  united 
in  pledging  about  $300.00  at  this  time,  only  ministers  and 
teachers  receiving  aid  from  the  board,  and  a  couple  of  others 
ever  became  able  to  pay  these  pledges. 

Parents  bringing  their  children  to  school,  with  only  a 
few  or  no  dollars  in  hand,  would  make  pledges  of  payment 
during  the  term.  The  amount  proposed  was  $25.00  for 
boarding  a  pupil  seven  months,  about  one  half  the  real  cost. 
When  they  became  convinced  they  had  no  money  to  send, 
some  would  send  for  their  children  during  the  term, 
while  others  would  leave  them  at  the  end  of  the  term  with- 
out notice,  and  even  make  it  necessary  for  the  superintend- 
ent to  pay  their  way  home. 

These  disappointing  experiences  had  a  two-fold  effect 
on  the  school.  They  meant  the  loss,  not  merely  of  some  ex- 
pected income,  but  almost  invariably  of  the  pupil"  and  pa- 
tron, and  the  constant  change  of  the  student  body  prevents 
the  development  of  the  higher  grades  which  must  be 
reached  by  the  students,  if  the  school  is  to  accomplish  its 
mission,  namely  the  training  and  development  of  christian 
teachers. 

The  term  reports  of  the  last  eight  years  will  show  that 
all  the  full  term  students  that  continued  long  enough  to 
reach  the  higher  grades,  7th  and  8th,  were  self  supporting 
ones,  who  were  either  sent  to  remain  at  the  academy  dur- 
ing the  vacation  periods  until  they  completed  their  course, 
or  were  accorded  the  opportunity  to  work  out  a  part  of  their 
expenses  at  the  academy.  The  full  term  students  whose 
boarding  was  entirely  paid  by  their  parents  did  not  average 
a  half  dozen  a  term. 


220  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Inability  to  provide  for  their  board,  meant  the  loss  of 
the  brightest  and  most  promising  pupils  of  the  earlier  years, 
about  the  time  they  reached  the  fifth  grade.  But  a  good 
boarding  school  can  be  developed  only  where  the  conditions 
are  favorable  for  the  continuance  of  the  pupils  from  year  to 
year,  until  they  reach  the  higher  grades.  The  fact  that  the 
7th  and  8th  grades  were  reached  only  during  the  last  two 
years  and  then  only  by  the  self-supporting  young  people 
is  quite  suggestive,  not  merely  of  a  past  embarrassment, 
but  of  that  which  should  be  an  important  feature  in  the  fu- 
ture management  of  the  institution,  namely,  a  constant  en- 
deavor to  increase  the  opportunities  for  young  people  to 
support  themselves  by  the  employment  furnished  at  the 
institution. 

STATEHOOD  CHANGES 

Another  embarrassment  was  experienced  as  a  result 
of  the  changes  incident  to  the  establishment  of  statehood. 

The  constitutional  convention  that  met  at  Guthrie,  the 
old  capital,  Jan.  1,  1907,  changed  the  map  of  Indian  Terri- 
tory. From  the  time  the  Indians  were  located  in  it  until 
that  date  the  civil  divisions  consisted  of  the  general  allot- 
ments to  the  different  tribes  or  nations  and  Oak  Hill  was 
near  the  center  of  the  southern  part  of  the  Choctaw  nation. 
In  1907  when  the  boundaries  of  the  counties  were  estab- 
lished Oak  Hill  was  near  the  west  line  of  McCurtain  county. 
The  first  election  of  county  officers  occurred  that  fall  and 
they  entered  upon  their  duties  on  Jan.  1,  1908.  It  was 
made  the  duty  of  the  county  superintendent  to  divide  the 
county  into  school  districts  so  as  to  meet  the  needs  of  the 
colored  people  as  well  as  the  whites  and  Indians. 

On  Sabbath,  Jan.  20,  1908,  the  first  superintendent  of 


UNFORTUNATE  CIRCUMSTANCES  221 

McCurtain  county  called  at  the  academy  and  left  the  pa- 
pers showing  the  establishment  of  Oak  Hill  district  No.  73, 
for  the  colored  people  of  that  neighborhood.  The  district 
included  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  29,  on  which  the 
academy  is  located  and  the  southeast  quarter  of  the  section 
adjoining  it  on  the  north.  The  board  of  education  for  this 
Oak  Hill  district  was  organized  on  February  20th  following, 
by  the  election  of  Henry  Prince,  chairman,  Rev.  R.  E.  Flick- 
inger,  Secretary;  and  Malinda  A.  Hall,  treasurer.  All  this 
was  done  at  a  time,  when  the  county  superintendent  could 
not  think  otherwise,  than  that  the  teachers  and  work  at  the 
academy  were  in  some  way  under  his  jurisdiction.  A  little 
later  the  Oak  Hill  district  was  quietly  quashed  and  its  hon- 
orable board  of  education  went  into  "inocuous  desuetude." 

This  incident  is  narrated  because  it  illustrates  what 
was  then  taking  place  all  over  McCurtain  county,  and  all 
the  other  counties  of  the  new  state.  The  law  provided  that 
a  district  and  a  school  might  be  established  wherever  there 
were  six  pupils  to  attend  the  school  and  the  people  furnished 
a  building  for  it.  In  a  short  time  three  schools  for  the  col- 
ored people  were  established  in  the  vicinity  of  the  academy, 
and  parents  were  made  to  believe  that  they  must  send  their 
children  to  these  schools  or  penalties  would  be  imposed 
on  them.  A  host  of  colored  teachers  from  Texas  and  other 
localities  were  attracted  to  the  new  state  to  meet  the  needs 
of  the  public  schools,  now  for  the  first  time  established  in 
the  rural  districts. 

The  mission  schools  previously  established  for  many 
years  in  the  chapels  of  the  churches  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Kiamichi  became  public  schools  and  the  pastors  that  con- 
tinued to  teach  became  public  school  teachers.  Parents  were 
also  for  the  first  time  in  their  lives,  taxed  for  the  support 


222  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

of  their  local  school.  Will  they  be  able  and  willing  to  pay 
their  annual  taxes  and  additional  tuition  or  board  at  Oak 
Hill  for  the  education  of  their  children. 

These  important  changes,  occurring  both  in  the  imme- 
diate neighborhood  and  also  in  distant  ones  that  furnished 
the  supply  of  students  for  Oak  Hill,  were  destined  to  ex- 
ert considerable  influence  on  the  work  of  that  institution. 
What  the  effect  of  that  influence  would  be,  was  a  matter  of 
great  anxiety  and  constant  watchfulness  on  the  part  of  the 
superintendent.  The  previous  missions  of  our  Freedmen's 
Board  at  Muskogee,  Atoka  and  Caddo  were  abandoned  as 
unnecessary  as  soon  as  the  increasing  population  of  those 
towns  made  adequate  provision  for  the  public  education  of 
their  colored  children.  Shall  this  be  the  outcome  of  the 
work  at  Oak  Hill,  now  that  the  rural  districts  are  supplied 
with  public  schools  and  teachers? 

EFFICIENT  SERVICE  REQUIRED 

That  these  changes  would  temporarily  affect  the  en- 
rollment of  Oak  Hill,  even  under  the  most  favorable  cir- 
cumstances was  believed  to  be  inevitable.  This  problem  was 
all  the  more  difficult  to  meet,  while  undergoing  the  exper- 
ience of  repeated  checks,  that  made  it  necessary  to  send 
pupils  home  during  term  time  on  three  different  occasions 
and  twice  to  check  their  incoming  on  account  of  "no  room." 

The  most  efficient  and  faithful  service  possible,  on  the 
part  of  the  superintendent  and  teachers,  was  believed  to  be 
the  best  means  of  meeting  this  crisis.  Parents  and  young 
people  must  also  have  a  little  time  for  observation,  that  they 
might  see  and  be  convinced  of  the  greater  value  of  the  work 
at  the  academy. 

To  visitors  at  the  academy  the  difference  was  very 


UNFORTUNATE  CIRCUMSTANCES  223 

quickly  perceived.  These  were  some  of  the  things  that  at- 
tracted their  special  and  favorable  attention. 

The  Bible  was  in  the  hand  of  every  pupil,  and  even  the 
youngest  were  familiar  with  many  of  its  most  beautiful 
and  instructive  passages. 

Every  pupil  had  all  the  text  books  he  needed  from  the 
day  he  entered  the  school. 

All  that  were  old  enough  were  required  to  spend  an 
hour  each  evening,  in  quiet  study  under  the  helpful  and  en- 
couraging eye  of  the  principal,  in  addition  to  the  forenoon 
and  afternoon  hours. 

All  were  forming  the  habit  of  using  their  spare  mo- 
ments to  advantage,  by  reading  some  good  books  from  the 
library,  a  church  paper,  or  practicing  on  some  useful  musi- 
cal instrument. 

Their  voices  were  being  correctly  and  rapidly  devel- 
oped for  intelligent  use  in  song  and  public  address. 

In  the  visible  results  of  their  work  they  witnessed 
their  skill  in  the  necessary  arts  of  life,  such  as  farming, 
stock  raising,  carpentry,  painting,  masonry,  cooking,  bak- 
ing and  sewing. 

And  then  it  was  very  unusual  for  any  pupil  to  return 
home  at  the  end  of  the  term,  without  having  voluntarily  be- 
come an  active  christian  worker  in  the  endeavor  meeting  and 
Sunday  school. 

During  the  spring  term  in  1905  only  34  pupils  were  en- 
rolled. During  the  next  three  years  the  increase  was  very 
encouraging,  the  enrollment  reaching  the  full  capacity  of  the 
buildings  at  115,  May  31,  1908. 

The  loss  of  buildings  that  began  with  the  opening  of 
the  next  term  compelled  a  reduction  in  the  enrollment.    For 


224  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

1909  and  the  subsequent  years  it  was  84,  108,  90  and  in 
1912,  95. 

INFERENCES 

It  would  seem  from  the  foregoing  facts,  that,  what- 
ever demand  there  was  for  the  Oak  Hill  Mission  as  a 
school  for  local  elementary  instruction  in  the  earlier  years) 
of  its  history,  the  conditions  of  the  country,  to  which  its 
work  must  now  be  adjusted,  have  experienced  a  very  great 
change.  So  long  as  there  are  families  living  in  sparsely 
settled  districts,  that  are  not  provided  with  ample  school 
privileges ;  or  the  interest  of  parents  in  the  welfare  of  their 
children  leads  them  to  prefer  the  select  boarding  school, 
under  well-known  christian  influences,  to  the  rural  school; 
elementary  instruction  will  be  needed  at  Oak  Hill.  But  the 
greater  need  now  is  for  the  higher  christian  education  that 
will  best  fit  the  young  people  to  become  intelligent  and  suc- 
cessful teachers,  and  for  the  industrial  training  that  will  fit 
them  for  the  performance  of  the  necessary  duties  of  life. 

A  comfortable  home  on  a  well-tilled  farm,  that  is  every 
year  increasing  in  value,  is  the  ideal  and  happiest  place  for 
ambitious  young  people.  Such  a  home  affords  healthful 
employment,  the  greatest  freedom  and  is  usually  a  very 
profitable  investment. 

The  young  farmer  needs  not  only  a  knowledge  of  soils, 
their  drainage  and  how  to  use  them  to  best  advantage, 
but  also  a  practical  knowledge  of  carpentry  and  painting, 
to  enable  him  to  erect  good  buildings  economically  and  to 
take  proper  care  of  them  afterwards. 

The  teacher  needs  this  knowledge  and  training,  that  he 
may  create  a  constant  demand  for  his  services  during  the 
long  summer  days  when  he  is  not  teaching. 


Rev.  W.  H.  Carroll.  Sudie  B.  McNiell.  Mrs.  W.  H.  Carroll. 


7 
i 


Lucretia  C.  Brown. 


Everett  Richard. 


Malinda  A.   Hall 

22+ 


Solomon  H.  Buchanan.         Samuel  A.  Foi 


UNFORTUNATE  CIRCUMSTANCES  225 

The  young  minister  needs  this  knowledge  more  than 
many  others,  and  a  great  deal  more  than  is  generally  ap- 
preciated, to  enable  him  to  give  intelligent  counsel  to  his 
people,  when  they  have  need  to  make  repairs  or  build  new 
churches  and  parsonages. 

As  these  higher  and  special  lines  of  industrial  instruc- 
tion are  perfected  and  emphasized,  and  the  facilities  for 
self-help  both  during  term  time  and  vacation  are  gradually 
increased,  the  efficiency  and  patronage  of  the  academy  will 
continue  to  increase  with  the  progress  of  the  years. 

BURDENS  AND  FRIENDS 

The  deficit  in  the  running  expenses  on  June  30,  1911, 
the  last  day  included  in  the  annual  report  of  that  year  was 
$1,693.95.  This  was  the  largest  deficit  at  the  end  of  any  pre- 
vious month,  and  was  a  big  one  with  which  to  commence 
the  improvement  work  of  our  last  year.  It  was  due  to  the 
fact  that  the  completion  of  Elliott  Hall  with  good  materials 
and  workmanship,  including  furniture,  cost  nearly  $1,500 
more  than  was  expected,  and  the  appropriation  made  for 
it. 

We  were  called  upon  to  experience  some  serious  losses 
and  bear,  for  considerable  periods  of  time  unusually  great 
and  heavy  burdens.  The  burden  twice  became  so  great,  in- 
deed, as  to  awaken  the  fear  that  another  straw  would  break 
the  camel's  back.  Happily  the  needed  relief  came  in  time 
to  avert  that  unhappy  experience,  or  check  the  aggressive 
onward  progress  of  the  improvement  work. 

When  the  burden  became  large  and  a  matter  of  person- 
al anxiety,  it  also  became  the  measure  of  the  valuable  and 
loyal  co-operation  of  the  new  friends  who  came  to  our  as- 


226  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

sistance,  in  addition  to  our  Board  of  Missions  for  Freedmen ; 
which  is  the  first  and  final  resort  for  the  resources  that 
are  necessary  to  successfully  administer,  and  gradually  de- 
velop the  work  of  this  institution. 

We  deem  it  appropriate  to  gratefully  record  the  names 
of  those  who  have  most  signally  aided  us  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  finances,  so  as  to  keep  them  locally  on  a  cash 
basis,  namely,  the  Security  State  bank  of  Rockwell  City, 
la.;  1st  National  bank  of  Valliant;  and  in  succession  the  fol- 
lowing dealers  in  Valliant :  O'Bannon  &  Son ;  A.  J.  Whitfield 
and  Planters  Trading  Co. 

Hon.  T.  P.  Gore,  United  States  Senator  from  Oklahoma, 
(blind),  has  favored  this  institution  by  sending  for  its  li- 
brary more  than  a  dozen  valuable  volumes,  among  which 
are  2  Year  Books  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture;  2 
Handbooks, — I  &  II, — of  theAmerican  Indians;  Report  of 
the  Commissioner  on  Education  for  1911,  in  two  volumes; 
Report  on  Industrial  Education;  Manual  of  the  United 
States  Senate;  Directory  of  Congress,  and  several  other 
smaller  volumes. 

SPECIAL  ADDRESSES 
During  our  last  term  the  institution  was  favored  with 
encouraging  and  instructive  addresses  from  the  following 
distinguished  visitors:  Rev.  Duncan  McRuer  of  Pauls  Val- 
ley, Moderator  of  the  Synod  of  Oklahoma;  Rev.  E.  B.  Teis 
of  Anadarko,  Pastoral  Evangelist  for  the  Presbytery  of 
El  Reno ;  Rev.  Phil  C.  Baird  D.  D.,  Pastor  of  the  First  Pres- 
byterian church  of  Oklahoma  City ;  and  by  Rev.  Wiley  Hom- 
er, Rev.  William  Butler,  Rev.  W.  J.  Starks  and  Rev.  T.  K. 
Bridges,  pastors  of  local  churches,  and  Rev.  M.  L.  Bethel, 
Oklahoma  City. 


XXIX 

BUILDING  THE  TEMPLE 

AN   EXERCISE   FOR   CHILDREN'S   DAY,   ILLUSTRATED   BY  A 
TEMPLE  AND  AN  ARCH. 

"I  have  no  greater  joy  than  to  hear  that  my  children 
walk  in  the  truth." — John 

Giving  all  diligence  add  to  your  faith,  virtue;  and  to 
virtue,  knowledge;  and  to  knowledge,  temperance;  and  to 
temperance,  patience ;  and  to  patience,  godliness ;  and  to  god- 
liness, brotherly  kindness;  and  to  brotherly  kindness,  char- 
ity.   He  that  lacketh  these  things  is  blind." — Peter. 

^^)(S=^/fjr  was  the  good  fortune  of  the  author  to  be 
called  to  serve  as  chorister  and  superintend- 
ent of  rural  Sunday  schools,  and  leader  of 
the  choir  of  the  church,  in  his  early  youth. 
At  the  beginning  of  his  ministry,  he  dis- 
covered the  relative  importance  of  this  work  among  the 
young,  by  reading  the  observation  of  the  sainted  Samuel 
Miller  to  the  effect ;  if  he  could  repeat  the  period  of  his  min- 
istry, he  would  give  ten  times  more  time  and  attention  to 
the  work  among  the  children.  This  importance  was  very 
acceptably  emphasized  during  the  eighties,  by  the  enthus- 
iasm of  Rev.  James  A.  Worden,  D.  D.,  of  our  Sunday  school 
Board,  and  the  appointment  of  a  Sabbath  in  June,  to  be  an- 
nually observed  as  Children's  Day. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  features  of  our  ministry 
has  been,  a  persistently  active  participation  in  the  work 
among  the  children  and  young  people.  Other  engagements 
have  not  been  permitted  to  interfere  with  attendance  at 
Sunday  school  and  Endeavor  meetings,  or  an  appointment  to 
meet  the  children  at  any  of  the  regular  times  of  rehearsal 
of  songs  and  exercises  for  Easter,  Christmas,  Children's 
Day  and  other  anniversaries.     All  the  young. people  were 

(227) 


228  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

encouraged  to  participate  in  the  effort  to  make  these  rally- 
ing days,  occasions  of  special  instruction  and  delight.  A 
number  of  pretty,  and  sometimes  elaborate,  designs  were 
devised  to  add  their  illuminating  effect  to  the  exercises. 
Two  of  these  designs,  a  temple  and  an  arch,  both  having  for 
their  object,  a  visible  representation  of  the  divinely  ap- 
pointed elements  of  a  good  character,  according  to  the 
apostle  Peter,  and  animating  power  of  the  indwelling  spirit, 
manifested  by  a  conscientious  observance  of  the  command 
to  remember  the  Sabbath,  have  been  deemed  worthy  of 
an  illustration  in  this  volume,  that  those  who  participated 
in  them,  and  others,  may  be  able  to  reproduce  them  for 
the  instruction  and  delight  of  others. 

Exercises,  that  consist  of  passages  from  the  Scrip- 
tures, are  more  valuable  than  others  to  the  children,  when 
committed  to  memory,  and  they  learn  them  very  readily, 
when  an  immediate  use  is  to  be  made  of  them  at  a  public 
service.  The  passages  suggested  for  use  in  these  exercises 
include  many  of  the  most  important  ones  in  the  Bible,  and 
as  they  practice,  in  the  presence  of  each  other,  all  become 
more  or  less  familiar  with  every  one  of  them.  The  super- 
intendent or  leader  is  expected  to  arrange  the  length  and 
number  of  the  exercises,  to  suit  the  number  and  ages  of 
those  available  to  participate  in  them.  A  single  verse  may 
be  best  for  the  child ;  but  a  glance  over  the  additional  pas- 
sages may  be  very  helpful  to  the  pastor  or  other  person,  de- 
livering a  short  address  at  the  close  of  the  children's  exer- 
cises. 

A  very  pleasing  feature  of  these  designs  is  the  fact, 
they  are  constructed  by  the  children  as  one  after  the  other, 
or  two  together,  carry  their  part  to  the  platform  and  render 
their  exercise.  One  or  two  are  appointed  to  serve  as  Master- 
builders  to  receive  the  stones  or  tablets,  when  delivered,  and 
place  them  in  their  proper  position. 


BUILDING  THE  TEMPLE 


229 


A  good  character  is  an  enduring  monument.    A  good  name  is  rather  to   be  chosen 
than  great  riches. 

WALKING  IN  THE  TRUTH 


THE 
SABBATH 


CHARITY 


KINDNESS 


GODLINESS 


PATIENCE 


TEMPERANCE 


KNOWLEDGE 


VIRTUE 


FAITH 


JESUS 

AND  HIM 

CRUCIFIED 


WORD   OF  GOD 

THAT 

ENDURETH 


AN  ENDURING  TEMPLE.— A  temple  for  time  and  eternity,  showing  the  divinely 
appointed  elements  of  a  good  character  (2  Peter  1:5-8),  their  sure  foundations;  the  person 
and  work  of  our  Lord  Jesus  and  the  inspired  Word  of  God;  and  their  crowning  bond,  the 
Sabbath. 


230  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

AN  EXERCISE  FOR  CHILDREN'S  DAY 

(The  two  master  builders  standing  together) 

Master  Builder.  Dear  friends:  The  Bible  tells  us  that 
all  are  builders.  That  some  are  wise  and  others  are  foolish. 
That  some  are  building  on  the  sand,  without  any  protection 
against  the  storms  and  floods,  that  will  surely  cause  their 
fall.  That  some  are  building  with  wood,  hay  or  stubble; 
or  with  gold,  silver  and  precious  stones,  without  any  protec- 
tion against  the  day,  when  the  fire  will  consume  these 
perishable  materials.  That  others,  however  are  building 
safely  and  securely,  with  divinely  appointed  materials,  on 
the  Rock  of  Ages  and  the  unchanging,  impregnable  Word 
of  God.  That  the  indwelling  Spirit,  commonly  called  the 
Comforter,  is  the  occupant,  strength  and  life  of  their  tem- 
ple; and  their  conscientious  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  is 
to  them  the  pledge  of  Divine  favor  and  the  visible  sign  of 
their  sure  protection. 

Assistant  Builder.  All  of  you  no  doubt  are  familiar 
with  the  words  of  the  poet,  Longfellow: 

"All  are  architects  of  fate 

Building  on  the  walls  of  time; 
Some  with  massive  deeds  and  great, 

Others  with  the  ornaments  of  rhyme. 
For  the  structures  that  we  raise 

God's  Word  is  with  materials  filled; 
And  our  todays  and  yesterdays 

Reveal  the  materials  with  which  we  build." 

"We  have  planned  today  to  build 

A  temple— on  earth,  a  heaven; 
A  temple  on  rocks  so  solid, 

And  with  materials  divinely  given, 
That  all  who  hear  the  Master's  call 

To  service  and  an  endless  life, 
May  of  this  be  sure,  whate'er  befall 

They  have  builded  for  time  aright." 

Life  is  what  we  make  it  out  of  what  God  puts  within 
our  reach,  and  every  act  is  a  foundation  stone  for  the  next 
one.  Walking  in  the  truth,  adding  to  our  faith  and  building 
a  temple  all  mean  advancing  one  step  or  stone  at  a  time. 

Master  Builder.  The  white  stone  referred  to  in  Revela- 
tion was  an  emblem  of  pardon  and  a  badge  of  friendship. 


BUILDING  THE  TEMPLE  231 

The  stone  ordinarily  is  an  emblem  of  solidity  and  en- 
during strength.  In  this  sense  it  is  an  emblem  of  an  eternal 
truth,  or  principle.  When  Peter  confessed,  "Thou  art  the 
Christ,"  Jesus  said  in  regard  to  his  confession,  "Thou  art 
Peter,  and  on  this  rock"  or  fundamental  truth,  "I  am  Christ," 
"I  will  build  my  church ;  and  the  gates  of  hell  (hades)  shall 
not  prevail  against  it." 

David  tells  us  "The  Lord  set  his  feet  upon  a  rock."  He 
calls  the  Lord  a  rock,  a  fortress  and  a  high  tower;  and  en- 
treats the  Lord  to  "lead  him  to  the  rock  that  is  higher  than 
I."  Peter  speaks  of  Jesus  as  a  living  stone,  and  of  believers 
as  lively  stones  that  form  a  spiritual  house,  an  holy  priest- 
hood. 

We  are  now  ready  for  the  foundation. 

"And  as  we  build,  let  each  one  pray, 

That  we  may  build  aright; 
That  all  we  do  on  earth  may  be 

Well  pleasing  in  God's  sight." 

Chorus.    "We're  building  up  the  temple, 
Building  up  the  temple 
Building  up  the  temple  of  the  Lord." 

Bearer:  We  bring  the  corner  stone  on  which  our  tem- 
ple rests. 

Master  Builder:  This  stone  represents  our  Lord  Jesus, 
the  sure  foundation.  Let  us  hear  of  this  stone,  the  Rock  of 
Ages,  what  the  Bible  may  tell. 

Bearer:  "Behold  I  lay  in  Zion  a  chief  corner  stone, 
elect,  precious;  and  he  that  believeth  on  him  shall  not  be 
confounded.  Unto  you  therefore  which  believe,  he  is  pre- 
cious ;  but  unto  them  which  be  disobedient,  the  stone  which 
the  builders  rejected,  the  same  is  made  the  head  of  the  cor- 
ner. Other  foundation  can  no  man  lay  than  that  is  laid, 
which  is  Jesus  Christ. 

He  said  of  himself,  I  am  the  light  of  the  world.  I 
am  the  resurrection  and  the  life:  he  that  believeth  in  me 
though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live.  And  whosoever  liv- 
eth  and  believeth  in  me  shall  never  die.  Without  me  ye  can 
do  nothing.    My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee. 

Paul  said  of  him,  "We  preach  Christ  crucified,  unto  the 
Jews  a  stumblingblock  and  unto  the  Greeks  foolishness; 


232  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

but  unto  them  which  are  called,  both  Jews  and  Greeks, 
Christ  the  power  of  God  and  the  wisdom  of  God." 

Asst.  Bearer:  Peter  said:  "Be  it  known  unto  you  all, 
and  to  all  the  people  of  Israel,  that  by  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Nazareth,  whom  ye  crucified,  whom  God  raised 
from  the  dead,  even  by  him  doth  this  man  stand  before  you 
whole.  This  is  the  stone  which  was  set  at  nought  by  you 
builders — the  Jews — which  is  become  the  head  of  the  cor- 
ner. Neither  is  there  salvation  in  any  other;  for  there  is 
none  other  name  under  heaven,  given  among  men  whereby 
we  must  be  saved." 

Bearer:     We  bring  another  stone  for  the  foundation. 

M.  B.  This  stone  represents  the  Word  of  God  that  en- 
dureth  forever.  Let  us  hear  of  this  stone  what  the  Bible 
may  tell. 

Bearer:  "Thou  hast  known  the  holy  scriptures,  which 
are  able  to  make  thee  wise  unto  salvation  through  faith, 
which  is  in  Christ  Jesus. 

All  scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God  and  is 
profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for  in- 
struction in  righteousness:  That  the  man  of  God  may  be 
perfect;  thoroughly  furnished  unto  all  good  works. 

The  law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect;  converting  the  soul; 
the  testimony  of  the  Lord  is  sure,  making  wise  the  simple. 
The  statutes  of  the  Lord  are  right,  rejoicing  the  heart;  the 
commandment  of  the  Lord  is  pure,  enlightening  the  eyes. 
The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  clean,  enduring  forever;  the  judg- 
ments of  the  Lord  are  true  and  righteous  altogether." 

Asst.  Bearer.  "Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but 
my  words  shall  not  pass  away. 

"Whosoever  shall  be  ashamed  of  me  and  my  words, 
of  him  shall  the  Son  of  Man  be  ashamed  when  he  shall  come 
in  his  own  glory,  and  in  the  glory  of  the  Father  and  of  the 
holy  angels." 

"Ye  are  built  upon  the  foundation  of  the  apostles  and 
prophets,  Jesus  Christ  himself  being  the  chief  corner 
stone ;  in  whom  all  the  building  fitly  framed  together  grow- 
eth  unto  a  holy  temple  in  the  Lord,  for  a  habitation  of  God 
through  the  Spirit."    See  John  1.  4,  14. 

M.  B.    The  two  fold  foundation  of  our  glorious  temple 


BUILDING  THE  TEMPLE  233 

has  now  been  laid.  It  consists  of  the  Rock  of  Ages  and  the 
Word  of  God  that  endureth  forever.  We  are  now  ready  for 
those  good  materials  for  the  walls  of  the  temple  that  are 
better  than  wood,  hay  or  stubble,  gold,  silver  or  precious 
stones. 

FAITH.  Bearer:  We  bring  the  stone  that  represents 
Faith. 

Master  Builder :  Faith  is  a  goodly  stone,  and  it  fits  right 
well.    Let  us  hear  of  Faith  what  the  Bible  may  tell. 

(Adjust  and  repeat  for  the  other  stones.) 

Bearer :  By  grace  are  ye  saved  through  Faith ;  and  that 
not  of  yourselves ;  it  is  the  gift  of  God. 

God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten 
Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but 
have  everlasting  life.  He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath 
everlasting  life ;  and  he  that  believeth  not  the  Son  shall  not 
see  life. 

Asst.  Bearer:  Abraham  believed  God,  and  it  was  ac- 
counted to  him  for  righteousness.  Know  ye  therefore  that 
they  which  are  of  faith,  the  same  are  the  children  of  Ab- 
raham. They  which  be  of  faith  are  blessed  with  faithful 
Abraham.  He  that  is  faithful  in  that  which  is  least  is  faith- 
ful. Be  thou  faithful  unto  death  and  I  will  give  thee  a 
crown  of  life.    See  also  Rom.  10:8-10. 

VIRTUE— COURAGE.  B  Whatsoever  things  are  true, 
whatsoever  things  are  honest,  whatsoever  things  are  just; 
whatsoever  things  are  pure,  whatsoever  things  are  lovely, 
whatsoever  things  are  of  good  report ;  if  there  be  any  virtue, 
and  if  there  be  any  praise,  think  on  these  things. 

Thou  therefore  my  son,  Timothy,  be  strong  in  the 
grace  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus  and  endure  hardness,  as  a  good 
soldier  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Asst.  B:  The  Lord  said  unto  Joshua,  "Be  strong  and 
of  a  good  courage :  that  thou  mayest  observe  to  do  according 
to  all  the  law,  which  Moses,  my  servant  commanded  thee; 
that  thou  mayest  prosper  whithersoever  thou  goest.  This 
book  of  the  law  shall  not  depart  out  of  thy  mouth ;  but  thou 
shalt  meditate  therein  day  and  night,  that  thou  mayest  ob- 
serve to  do  according  to  all  that  is  written  therein ;  for  then 
thou  shalt  make  thy  way  prosperous,  and  then  thou  shalt 
have  good  success."    See  also  Eph.  6:10-17. 


234  CHOCTAW  FREEBMEN 

KNOWLEDGE.  B:  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  begin- 
ning of  knowledge.  This  is  life  eternal,  that  they  might 
know  thee,  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ,  whom  Thou 
hast  sent. 

Know  ye  not  that  ye  are  the  temple  of  God  and  that 
the  spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you?  If  any  man  defile  the 
temple  of  God,  him  shall  God  destroy:  for  the  temple  of 
God  is  holy,  which  temple  ye  are.    See  Prov.  4:7-8;  3:  16-17 

TEMPERANCE.  Abstain  from  all  appearance  of  evil. 
If  meat  make  my  brother  to  offend  I  will  eat  no  meat  while 
the  world  standeth.  The  fruit  of  the  spirit  is  love,  joy, 
peace,  long  suffering,  gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness, 
temperance;  against  such  there  is  no  law.  And  2  Pet.  1:5-6. 

PATIENCE.  In  your  patience  possess  ye  your  souls. 
Let  us  run  with  patience  the  race  that  is  set  before  us ;  look- 
ing unto  Jesus,  the  author  and  finisher  of  our  faith ;  who  for 
the  joy  that  was  set  before  him  endured  the  cross,  despis- 
ing the  shame,  and  is  set  down  at  the  right  hand  of  the 
throne  of  God. 

GODLINESS.  "Great  is  the  mystery  of  Godliness: 
God  manifest  in  the  flesh,  believed  on  in  the  world  and  re- 
ceived up  into  glory.  Godliness  with  contentment  is  great 
gain.  Godliness  is  profitable  unto  all  things,  having  promise 
of  the  life  that  now  is  and  of  that  which  is  to  come.  Fear 
God  and  keep  his  commandments :  for  this  is  the  whole  duty 
of  man." 

KINDNESS.  "Be  ye  kind  one  to  another,  tender  heart- 
ed, forgiving  one  another,  even  as  God  for  Christ's  sake 
hath  forgiven  you.  Love  ye  your  enemies,  and  do  good; 
lend  hoping  for  nothing  again;  and  your  reward  shall  be 
great,  and  ye  shall  be  the  children  of  the  Highest :  for  he  is 
kind  unto  the  unthankful  and  to  the  evil." 

CHARITY.  Though  I  bestow  all  my  goods  to  feed  the 
poor,  and  though  I  give  my  body  to  be  burned  and  have  not 
charity,  it  profiteth  me  nothing.  Charity  suffereth  long  and 
is  kind.  Charity  envieth  not;  beareth  all  things,  believeth 
all  things,  endureth  all  things.  And  now  abideth  faith, 
hope  and  charity,  these  three,  but  the  greatest  of  these  is 
charity."  Luke  10:27.  I  John  3.17. 

All  repeat  2  Pet.  1:5-8,  and  review  the  foundations. 


BUILDING  THE  TEMPLE  235 

THE  SABBATH.  "The  Sabbath  was  made  for  man  and 
not  man  for  the  Sabbath :  therefore  the  Son  of  Man  is  Lord 
also  of  the  Sabbath,  and  the  apostle  John  calls  it  the  Lord's 
day." 

"From  the  beginning  of  the  world  to  the  resurrection  of 
Christ,  God  appointed  the  seventh  day  of  the  week  to  be 
the  weekly  Sabbath ;  and  the  first  day  of  the  week  ever  since 
to  continue  to  the  end  of  the  world,  which  is  the  Christian 
Sabbath." 

"And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  saying,  verily  my 
Sabbaths  ye  shall  keep,  for  it  is  a  sign  between  me  and  you 
throughout  your  generations;  that  ye  may  know  that  I  am 
the  Lord  that  doth  sanctify  you.  It  is  a  sign  between  me 
and  the  children  of  Israel  for  ever." 

Isaiah  refers  to  the  Sabbath  as  a  pledge  of  divine  favor. 
"If  thou  call  the  Sabbath  a  delight,  the  holy  of  the  Lord 
and  shalt  honor  it,  not  doing  thine  own  ways;  I  will  cause 
thee  to  ride  upon  the  high  places  of  the  earth  and  feed  thee 
with  the  heritage  of  Jacob  thy  father." 

Ezekiel,  a  prophet  of  the  captivity,  older  than  Daniel 
and  faithful  even  unto  death,  refers  four  times  to  the  pollu- 
tion of  the  Sabbath  as  one  of  the  principal  causes  of  the 
captivity.  "The  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  me,  saying, 
I  gave  them  my  Sabbaths  to  be  a  sign  between  me  and  them, 
that  they  might  know  that  I  am  the  Lord  that  sanctify 
them.  But  the  house  of  Israel  walked  not  in  my  statutes, 
and  my  Sabbaths  they  greatly  profaned.  Then  I  said  I 
would  greatly  pour  out  my  fury  upon  them  to  consume  them 
and  scatter  them  among  the  heathen." 

Abraham  Lincoln  very  truly  observed,  "As  we  keep 
or  break  the  Sabbath  day,  we  nobly  save  or  meanly  lose  the 
last  best  hope  by  which  man  rises." 

Washington  and  Lincoln,  apart  from  what  they  did, 
were  great  men.  The  divine  element  of  a  God  given  char- 
acter belonged  to  each.  Goodness  is  the  basis  of  greatness, 
and  greatness  is  character;  the  ability  and  willingness  to 
serve. 

All  unite  in  repeating  the  fourth  commandment. 

THE  DESIGN.  It  can  be  ornamented  with  a  gilt  cross 
and  decorated  with  evergreen  festoons  pendant  over  the 
ends.  Bouquets  of  the  same  color  can  be  laid  at  the  corres- 
ponding angles. 


236  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

THE  CROSS.  "God  forbid  that  I  should  glory,  save  in 
the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  the  world  is 
crucified  unto  me,  and  I  unto  the  world."    — Paul. 

The  children  bringing  bouquets  can  be  supplied  with 
short  exercises  like  the  following. 

I  bring  these  flowers :  Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was  not 
arrayed  like  one  of  these. 

These  beautiful  flowers  I  bring, 
A  grateful  offering  to  my  king. 

I  bring  these  pretty  flowers, 

A  fragrant  relic  of  Eden's  bowers. 

I  bring  these  roses  fair 

To  Him  who  hears  my  evening  prayer. 

I  bring  to  him  this  pretty  rose, 

Who  died  and  from  the  dead  arose, 
To  save  us  all  from  all  our  foes. 

These  flowers  I  bring  to  him  of  whom  it  was  said, 
"I  am  the  rose  of  Sharon  and  the  lily  of  the  valleys." 

"By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them."  This  is  the  pres- 
ent test  of  character;  of  men,  their  teachings  and  institu- 
tions. 

Fruit,  FRUIT,  MORE  FRUIT. 

Every  branch  that  beareth  not 

FRUIT 

He  taketh  away ;  every  branch  that  beareth 

FRUIT 

He  purgeth  it,  that  it  may  bring  forth 

MORE  FRUIT 

"In  the  beauty  of  the  lilies  Christ  was  born  across  the 

sea. 

With  a  glory  in  his  bosom  that  transfigures  you  and  me ; 
As  He  died  to  make  men  holy,  let  us  die  to  make  men 

free, 

While  God  is  marching  on." 

See  also  Math.  7:30;  John  15:5-8,  14,  15. 


BUILDING  THE  TEMPLE  237 

Repeat  in  unison  the  call  of  Jesus  for  the  children: 

"Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto  me  and  forbid  them  not 
for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 

OPPORTUNITY  FOR  DECISION 
Daniel  in  his  youth,  purposed  in  his  heart,  not  to  defile 
himself  by  eating  the  king's  meat  or  the  wine  which  he 
drank.    Joshua  expressed  his  decision  to  all  Israel,  saying, 
"As  for  me  and  my  house,  we  will  serve  the  Lord." 

Choose  ye  this  day  whom  ye  will  serve?  While  the 
congregation  is  standing  and  singing  an  appropriate,  fa- 
miliar hymn,  encourage  every  undecided  person  present,  to 
accept  Jesus  as  their  savior;  and  to  indicate  with  the  up- 
lifted hand,  their  decision  to  live  a  Christian  life. 

Provide  testaments  or  bibles  for  those  needing  them. 

BUILDING  DAY  BY  DAY 

"We  are  building  in  sorrow  and  building  in  joy 

A  temple  the  world  cannot  see. 
But  we  know  it  will  stand,  if  we  found  it  on  a  rock, 

Through  the  ages  of  eternity. 
Cho.    We  are  building  day  by  day 

As  the  moments  glide  away, 
Our  temple  which  the  world  may  not  see. 

Every  victory  won  by  grace 
Will  be  sure  to  find  a  place 

In  our  building  for  eternity. 

Every  deed  forms  a  part  in  this  building  of  ours, 

That  is  done  in  the  name  of  the  Lord ; 
For  the  love  that  we  show 

And  the  kindness  we  bestow 
He  has  promised  us  a  bright  reward. 
Then  be  watchful  and  wise 

Let  the  temple  we  rear 
Be  one  that  no  tempest  can  shock ; 

For  the  Master  has  said 
And  He  taught  us  in  His  word 

We  must  build  upon  the  solid  rock." 

-H.  E.  Blair 


j_ 


238  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

GROWING  UP  FOR  JESUS 

"Growing  up  for  Jesus,  we  are  truly  blest, 

In  His  smile  is  welcome,  in  His  arms  our  rest, 
In  His  truth  our  treasure,  in  His  word  our  rule, 

Growing  up  for  Jesus,  in  our  Sunday  School. 
Growing  up  for  Jesus,  till  in  Him  complete, 

Growing  up  for  Jesus,  oh !  His  work  is  sweet ; 
In  His  truth  our  treasure,  in  His  word  our  rule, 

Growing  up  for  Jesus,  in  our  Sunday  School. 

Not  too  young  to  love  Him,  little  hearts  beat  true, 

Not  too  young  to  serve  Him,  as  the  dew  drops  do. 
Not  too  young  to  praise  Him,  singing  as  we  come, 

Not  too  young  to  answer,  when  He  calls  us  home. 
Growing  up  for  Jesus,  learning  day  by  day, 

How  to  follow  onward  in  the  narrow  way; 
Seeking  holy  treasure,  finding  precious  truth, 

Growing  up  for  Jesus  in  our  happy  youth." 

— Pres.  Board  Publication. 

OUR  HAPPY  LAND 

A  Favorite  Children's  Chorus. 
Land  of  children,  birds  and  flowers, 

What  a  happy  land  is  ours! 
Here  the  gladdest  bells  are  rung, 

Here  the  sweetest  songs  are  sung. 
With  Thy  banner  o'er  us, 

Join  we  all  in  chorus, 
Land  of  children,  birds  and  flowers 

What  a  happy  land  is  ours. 

Let  us  keep  it  so  we  pray, 

Drive  the  clouds  of  sin  away; 
Father  by  Thy  love  divine 

Make  us,  keep  us  ever  Thine. 
With  Thy  banner  o'er  us,  etc. 
Keep  us  Lord  from  day  to  day 

In  the  straight  and  narrow  way. 
May  it  be  our  chief  delight, 

To  walk  upright  in  Thy  sight ; 
With  Thy  banner  o'er  us,  etc. 

What  a  happy  land 

What  a  happy  land  is  ours, 
Here  the  gladdest  bells  are  rung, 


_., 


BUILDING  THE  TEMPLE  239 

Here  the  sweetest  songs  are  sung; 
Freedom's  banner  o'er  us, 

Join  we  all  in  chorus, 
Land  of  children,  birds  and  flowers, 
What  a  happy  land  is  ours. 

THE  ARCH 

The  arch,  which  appears  on  another  page,  illustrates 
in  a  very  striking  manner  the  mutual  dependence  of  all  the 
stones,  representing  the  divinely  appointed  elements  of 
character,  on  their  crown,  the  keystone,  which  represents 
the  Sabbath  or  fourth  commandment,  the  connecting  link 
between  the  first  and  second  tables  of  the  law  and  the  vis- 
ible bond  of  every  man  and  nation  to  his  Creator. 

When  the  keystone  has  been  placed  in  position  the 
arch  will  sustain  considerable  weight,  but  if  it  be  removed 
nearly  all  of  the  other  stones  tumble  to  the  floor  in  a  confused 
heap.  Those  who  do  not  remember  the  Sabbath  to  keep  it 
holy  unto  the  Lord,  may  manifest  some  of  these  divinely 
appointed  elements  of  character,  but  every  one  who  con- 
scientiously observes  the  Sabbath  as  a  day  for  public  wor- 
ship, reading  and  teaching  the  Word  of  God,  endeavors  to 
develop  all  of  them.  The  indwelling  spirit  is  dependent  on 
an  intelligent  knowledge  of  the  Word,  and  the  strengthen- 
ing influence  of  the  Sabbath  is  usually  according  to  the  good 
use  that  is  made  of  it. 

EXPLANATORY 

A  couple  of  cracker  boxes  inverted  serve  for  the  two  foundation 
stones.  The  parts  of  the  temple  consist  of  frames  made  of  thin 
strips,  about  five  inches  wide.  Each  stone  is  about  three  inches  short- 
er and  one  and  one-half  inches  narrower  than  the  one  below  it,  and 
it  rests  on  supporting  strips  inserted  in  the  top  of  the  lower  one. 
All  can  be  set  aside  in  the  lower  one  when  they  are  inverted.  All  are 
covered  with  white  printing  paper  and  the  letters  are  fastened  with 
little  tacks. 

The  large  letters  are  21/£xl1/4  and  the  small  ones  1^x7-8  inches. 
A  bright  red  color  is  essential  in  order  to  produce  the  nicest  effect. 


240  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

They  can  be  cut  very  speedily  and  uniformly  if  the  cardboard  is  first 
ruled  with  a  pen,  into  squares  the  size  of  the  letters,  and  then  ruled 
with  a  pencil  one-fourth  of  an  inch  distant  from  the  ink  rulings. 

The  arch  is  four  feet  wide  at  the  base.  The  inner  circle  is  de- 
scribed with  a  radius  of  two  and  the  outer  one  of  three  feet.  The 
curved  edges  of  each  are  cut  with  a  scroll  saw.  Strips  of  orange 
boxes  or  sheets  of  card  board,  one  foot  long,  are  used  to  nail  on  their 
straight  edges.  All  are  covered  with  cheese  cloth  or  muslin  and 
the  letters  are  placed  on  a  curved  line.  The  arch  and  temple  can  both 
be  built  on  a  smaller  scale  with  box  board.  The  lifting  of  the  key- 
stone of  the  arch,  when  first  inserted  is  a  very  interesting  performance. 

REFERENCES 

TEMPLE:  1  Cor.  3:16-17;Math.  7:24-27;  Luke  6:47-49;  1  Cor. 
3:12-15;  James  l:22-24;Rev.  2:17;  Ps.  18:2;  31:2-3;  71:35;  40:2;  61:2; 
62:2. 

JESUS.  Isa.  28:16;  1  Peter  2:6;  Math.  16:15-18;  John  1:1-2-14; 
Dan.  2:34-35;  1  Cor.  3:11;  Math  21:42-44;  Acts  4:10-12;  1  Peter  2:4-6. 

WORD.  2  Tim.  3:16-17;  1  Peter  1:20-21;  Ps.  19:7.10;  Heb.  4:12; 
Ps.  119:105,130;  Isa.  40:8;  Math.  24:35;  Mark  13:31;  Luke  9:26; 
Eph.  2:19-22. 

FAITH.  John  3:16,  36;  Heb.  11:1-3;  Eph.  2:4-8;  Acts  16:31; 
Heb.  11:23-26;  Mark  11:22-23;  Gal.  3:6-9;  Luke  16:10. 

VIRTUE.    Phil.  4:8;  Josh.  1:6-9;  2  Tim  2:1-3;  1  John  2:13-14. 

KNOWLEDGE.  John  17:3;  1  Cor.  3:16-17;  Prov.  1:7;  Isa.  11:1-2, 
33,  6;  Prov.  4:7-8;  3:16-17. 

TEMPERANCE.  Gal.  5:22-24;  1  Cor.  8:13;  2  Peter  1:5-6;  Gen. 
2:16-17;  Dan.  1:8;  -  Thess.  5:22. 

PATIENCE.     Luke  21:19;  James  5:11;  Heb.  10:35-36;  12:1-2. 

GODLINESS.     1  Tim.  4:8;  6:6-7;  3:16;  Ec.  12:13-14. 

KINDNESS.    Eph.  4:32;  Luke  6:35;  Ps.  103:2-4. 

CHARITY.    1  Cor.  13:4-8;  13:1-3;  2  Peter  1:5-8. 

SABBATH.  Ex.  20:8-11;  Mark  2:27-28;  Ex.  31:13-  17;  Isa.  58: 
13-14;  Ezek.  20:13,  16,  20,  24;  Luke  4:16:18;  Rev.  1:10. 


XXX 

MAXIMS  AND  SUGGESTIONS 

RELATING  TO  THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF  A  GOOD  CHARACTER 
AND  THE  ACHIEVEMENT  OF  GOOD  SUCCESS.— NUGGETS 
FROM  SHORT  TALKS  TO  THE  STUDENTS  ON  FRIDAY 
EVENINGS. 

"Precept  upon  precept,  line  upon  line,  here  a  little  and 
there  a  little."    Proverbs. 

INSTABLE  as  water  thou  shalt    not    excel. 

Jacob. 

Be  gentle  in  manner,  firm  in  principle, 

always  conciliatory. 

Go  forward;  and  if  difficulties  increase, 

go  forward  more  earnestly. 

In  essentials,  unity;  in  non-essentials,  liberty;  in  all 
things,  charity.    Augustine. 

Find  a  way  or  make  one,  is  excellent ;  but  sometimes  it 
needs  to  read,  Find  employment  or  make  it. 

Whatever  cannot  be  avoided  must  be  endured.  En- 
dure hard  things  bravely. 

Patience  and  Perseverance  will  perform  great  wonders. 

Early  to  bed  and  early  to  rise  will  make  a  man  healthy, 
wealthy  and  wise.    Ben  Franklin. 

Whoever  wins  man's  highest  stature  here  below  must 
grow,  and  never  cease  to  grow — for  when  growth  ceases, 
death  begins.    Alice  Carey. 

"There  is  so  much  bad  in  the  best  of  us, 

And  so  much  good  in  the  worst  of  us ; 
It  is  hardly  fair  for  any  of  us, 
To  speak  ill  of  the  rest  of  us." 
If  thou  wouldst  know  the  secret  of  a  happy  life,  rise  in 
the  morn,  with  armor  clasped  about  thee,  for  the  day's  long 
strife.    "Thy  duty  do." 

(241) 


242  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

The  very  angels  then  will  stoop,  when  the  night  brings 
rest,  to  cradle  thee  in  heavenly  arms  because  thou  didst 
thy  best.    Jennings. 

Bear  and  forbear  are  two  good  bears  to  have  in  every 
home  ,in  order  to  keep  peace  in  the  family.  Grin  and  bear  it, 
is  another  good  one.  Impatience,  scolding  and  fault-finding 
are  three  black  bears,  that  make  every  one  feel  badly  and 
look  ugly.    Don't  harbor  them. 

BIBLE  PRECEPTS.     Faithful  is  the  Bible  word  for 

success. 

He  that  is  faithful,  is  faithful  in  that  which  is  least. 

Owe  no  man  anything.    Render  to  all  their  dues. 

Be  not  wise  in  your  own  conceits.  A  wise  son  maketh 
a  glad  father;  but  a  foolish  son  is  the  heaviness  of  his 
mother. 

Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  all  these  things 
shall  be  added  unto  you. 

Wisdom  is  the  principal  thing,  therefore  get  wisdom. 
Her  ways  are  ways  of  pleasantness  and  all  her  paths  are 
peace. 

Honor  the  Lord  with  thy  substance  and  with  the  first- 
fruits  of  all  thine  increase ;  so  shall  thy  barns  be  filled  with 
plenty. 

So  teach  us  to  number  our  days,  that  we  may  apply 
our  hearts  unto  wisdom.  Let  the  beauty  of  the  Lord  our 
God  be  upon  us,  and  establish  thou  the  work  of  our  hands. 
Moses. 

The  hand  of  the  diligent  maketh  rich.  The  hand  of 
the  diligent  shall  bear  rule. 

Be  not  slothful  in  business.  A  man  diligent  in  his 
business  shall  stand  before  kings ;  he  shall  not  stand  before 
mean  men. 

Anger  resteth  in  the  bosom  of  fools.  Make  no  friend- 
ship with  an  angry  man,  lest  thou  learn  his  ways:  Let  not 
the  sun  go  down  upon  thy  wrath.  Be  patient;  and  not  a 
brawler  or  striker. 

SPIRITUAL  POWER.  Bring  ye  all  the  tithes  into  the 
storehouse;  that  there  may  be  meat  in  mine  house,  and  prove 
me  now  herewith,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  if  I  will  not  open 


MAXIMS  AND  SUGGESTIONS  243 

the  windows  of  heaven,  and  pour  you  out  a  blessing,  that 
there  shall  not  be  room  enough  to  receive  it. 

HOW  SOME  MEN  ACHIEVED  GREATNESS 

Abraham  believed  God  and  was  promptly  obedient  to 
His  divine  call.  "The  Lord  made  Abraham  rich"  and  the 
"Father  of  the  Faithful." 

"The  Lord  was  with  Joseph,"  the  innocent  slave  in  pris- 
on. He  led  him  from  the  prison  to  a  throne  and  made  him 
a  successful  ruler  in  Egypt. 

Daniel  the  youthful,  God-fearing  captive  at  Babylon, 
"sought  the  Lord  by  prayer,  supplication  and  fasting." 
"The  Lord  prospered  him."  gave  him  favor  with  princes 
and  made  him  the  greatest  statesman  of  his  age. 

Job  was  a  "perfect  and  upright  man,  one  that  feared 
God."  Satan  said  of  him,  "Doth  Job  fear  God  for  nought  ?" 
Satan  then  deprived  him  of  his  family,  property  and  health. 
Job  still  maintained  his  integrity,  saying,  "The  Lord  gave 
and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away."  The  Lord  then  gave  Job 
twice  as  much  as  he  had  before;  so  that  the  latter  end  of 
Job  was  more  blessed  than  his  beginning. 

When  the  Lord  said  to  Moses,  "Come  now,  I  will  send 
thee  unto  Pharoah,  that  thou  mayest  bring  forth  my  people 
out  of  Egypt;"  he  hesitated,  saying,  "Who  am  I?"  "They 
will  not  believe  me;"  and  "I  am  not  eloquent."  But  when 
he  obeyed  the  call  and  went,  the  Lord  went  with  him,  the 
people  believed,  the  army  of  Pharoah  was  overthrown;  and 
Moses  became  the  first  emancipator,  a  great  leader  of  men 
and  the  greatest  law-giver  in  the  history  of  the  world. 

OAK  HILL  BE'S 

Be  Honorable.  Never  do  that  which  will  cause  you  af- 
terwards to  feel  ashamed. 

Be  Honest.  Never  deceive  or  take  that  which  belongs 
to  another. 

Be  True.  Stand  firmly  for  the  truth  and  be  faithful, 
though  you  stand  or  work  alone. 

Be  Pure.  Shun  the  impure  and  abhor  whatever  will 
corrupt  good  morals. 

Be  Polite.  Help  the  weak  and  never  by  word  or  act 
offend  another. 


244  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Be  Prompt.  If  you  have  done  badly,  hasten  with  your 
apology  before  you  are  called  to  account. 

Be  Thoughtful.  Learn  how  to  exercise  that  forethought 
that  anticipates  every  future  need  at  the  beginning  of  an 
undertaking. 

Self  Control.     Self  control  means  self  discipline.     Self 
discipline  means  that  I  must  be  willing  to: 

Be,  what  I  know  I  ought  to  be ; 

Say,  what  I  know  I  ought  to  say ; 

Do,  what  I  know  I  ought  to  do ; 

Go,  where  I  know  I  ought  to  go; 

Do,  with  my  might  what  my  hands  find  to  do;  and  be 
firmly  decided,  not  to  do  anything  I  know  I  ought  not  to  do. 
It  is  the  ability  to  control  one's  thoughts  and  energies  by 
rule,  so  as  to  act  prudently,  and  never  impulsively  or  im- 
patiently. 

All  make  mistakes,  some  more  than  others.  "To  err 
is  human."  He  succeeds  best  who  makes  the  fewest  mistakes ; 
and  most  quickly  corrects  them,  when  discovered. 

"I  am  not  bound  to  win,  but  I  am  bound  to  be  true. 
I  am  not  bound  to  suceed,  but  I  am  bound  to  live  up  to 
what  light  I  have. 

I  must  stand  with  anybody  who  stands  right;  stand 
with  him  while  he  is  right,  and  part  with  him  when  he  goes 
wrong."    Lincoln. 

Freedom.  True  freedom  is  the  freedom  to  do  right, 
and  for  it  good  men  contend.  The  liberty  to  do  what  one 
may  wish  to  do,  is  not  freedom,  for  that  may  be  wrong. 

Tact.  Tact  is  the  ability  to  please  rather  than  offend, 
by  saying  or  doing  the  right  thing  in  a  pleasant  way  at  the 
right  time,  ignoring  petty  slights  and  insults  and  leading  dis- 
agreeable people  to  become  your  friends. 

Blessed  is  the  teacher  who  expects  much  from  his  pu- 
pils, he  is  thereby  likely  to  receive  it ;  that  has  common  sense 
in  framing  regulations,  and  backbone  to  enforce  them ;  whose 
vocabulary  contains  more  "do's"  than  "don'ts."  Lucy  A. 
Baker. 

The  little  birds,  like  the  busy  bees,  are  cheery  and  valu- 
able helpers.    Encourage  their  presence  and  aid,  by  plant- 


MAXIMS  AND  SUGGESTIONS  245 

ing  trees  for  their  songs  and  building  little  houses  for  their 
young. 

The  domestic  animals  are  our  servants  and  profit-mak- 
ers, or  mortgage  lifters.  Always  treat  them  kindly.  Never 
permit  anyone  to  strike,  or  stone  them.  Even  the  pig  of  your 
neighbor,  when  he  becomes  a  mischievous  intruder  in  your 
field,  if  you  give  him  a  friendly  chase,  will  conduct  you  to 
a  hole  in  the  fence  that  ought  to  be  closed. 

"Kind  words  can  never  die, 

Cherished  and  blest ; 
God  knows  how  deep  they  lie, 

Stored  in  each  breast." 

Character.  Character  is  a  word  derived  from  another 
one  that  means  to  impress  or  engrave.  It  marks  our  individ- 
uality. It  is  the  result  of  the  principles  and  habits,  that  have 
impressed  themselves  on  our  nature  and  the  abilities  that 
have  been  developed.  Solomon  calls  it  a  good  name,  which 
suggests  reputation.  It  is  tested  and  strengthened  by  over- 
coming difficulties.  A  good  character  is  within  the  reach  of 
all  while  greatness  is  possible  only  to  a  few. 

"When  wealth  is  lost,  nothing  is  lost ; 
When  health  is  lost,  something  is  lost ; 
When  character  is  lost,  all  is  lost." 

Character.  "Character  is  not  what  we  think,  feel  or 
know;  but  what  we  are.  Character  is  being;  and  it  is  in- 
finitely nobler  to  be  than  to  have,  or  know,  or  do.  The  rank, 
value  and  dignity  of  character  cannot  be  overestimated. 
The  confidence  of  the  whole  world  on  which  trade,  empires, 
homes  and  real  happiness  are  built  is  confidence  in  charac- 
ter. Character  is  the  great  end ;  moral  and  spiritual  educa- 
tion is  the  greatest  means  to  attain  that  end." — Martin. 

Character  is  personal  power,  the  poor  boy's  best  capi- 
tal and  the  success,  that  makes  him  greater  than  his  occupa- 
tion. The  weak  wait  for  opportunities,  but  the  strong  sieze 
them  and  make  even  common  occasions  great. 

The  world  honors  success.  God  honors  faithfulness. 
The  world  commends  worldly  achievements,  but  God  re- 
wards character. 

Every  student  should  endeavor  to  build  up  the  commun- 
ity in  which  he  lives  commercially,  socially  and  religiously. 


246  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Beware  of  strangers  that  come  to  you  full  of  smooth 
talk  and  clad  in  fine  clothing.  The  tree,  book,  land  and  other 
agents  sometimes  prove  helpful.  But  you  will  be  happier 
and  more  prosperous,  if  you  will  send  for  a  catalog  and  get 
just  what  you  need,  and  at  cost.  You  will  thereby  avoid  the 
expensiveness  and  uncertainty  of  doing  business  through  a 
nicely  dressed,  but  irresponsible  stranger. 

The  upright  exert  a  blessed  influence  long  after  their 
departure  from  the  earth.  They  are  remembered  in  the 
home,  the  social  circle  and  the  church. 

"That  man  exists,  but  never  lives, 
Who  much  receives  but  nothing  gives; 
But  he  who  marks  his  busy  way, 
By  generous  acts  from  day  to  day, 
Treads  the  same  path  his  Savior  trod, 
The  path  to  glory  and  to  God." 

Education.  Everything  from  a  pin  to  an  engine  has 
its  cost  and  someone  must  pay  the  price. 

In  education  the  material  is  human  and  the  product 
is  a  new  and  living  worker  for  the  world's  work.  The  ma- 
terial and  moral  progress  of  the  world  has  been  principally 
due  to  the  work  of  educated  men  and  women. 

Education  has  its  cost,  but  the  profit  of  a  good  christian 
education  is  vastly  greater  than  its  cost.  It  pays  to  educate 
young  people  who  are  christians,  that  they  may  become 
leaders  in  thought  and  action. 

"A  good  education  enables  one  to  manifest  goodness 
and  not  badness.  Drawing  out  all  the  good  qualities  of  head 
and  heart,  it  magnifies  them  and  suppresses  the  bad  ones. 
If  this  seems  hard,  it  should  be  remembered  that  all  things 
of  value  are  obtained  only  by  effort." 

"For  every  evil  under  the  sun 
There's  a  remedy,  or  there's  none, 
If  there  is  one,  try  and  find  it; 
If  there  is  none,  never  mind  it." 

"A  clear  and  legible  handwriting  is  one  of  the  best 
means  of  giving  a  stranger  an  impression  of  force  of  char- 
acter, self-control  and  capacity  for  skilled  work.  It  wins 
favor  by  making  the  reading  of  it  easy  and  a  source  of 
pleasure.  It  is  one  of  the  crowning  attainments  of  a  well 
cultured  life." — Spencer. 


MAXIMS  AND  SUGGESTIONS  247 

"Success  follows  those  who  see  and  know  how  to  take 
advantage  of  their  opportunity." 

The  Lord  loves  to  use  "the  weak  things"  and  "things 
that  are  despised."  He  loves  to  put  the  treasure  of  His 
grace  into  the  feeble,  that  the  world  may  be  compelled  to 
ask,  "whence  hath  this  man  power?"  Rev.  J.  H.  Jowett. 

Self  education  is  accomplished  by  reading  good  books, 
with  the  aid  of  a  dictionary.  Get  a  Bible  dictionary  for  the 
Bible,  and  a  Webster  or  Academic  dictionary  for  other  books. 

Do  all  things  by  rule.  A  good  rule  tells  the  right  way 
to  do  things.  If  you  do  not  know  the  rule  ask  for  it.  Never 
violate  a  known  rule.  It  never  pays  to  do  so ;  the  confidence 
of  someone  is  sure  to  be  forfeited. 

Keep  Busy.  Keep  busy  and  you  will  keep  happy.  Read 
good  books  when  you  cannot  work.  If  you  call  on  a  friend 
and  he  is  busy,  do  not  become  an  idler  or  make  him  one. 
Either  help  him  or  read  his  best  books. 

Idleness.  Idleness  is  a  sin  against  God.  "Six  days 
shalt  thou  labor  and  do  all  thy  work."  "In  the  sweat  of 
thy  face  shalt  thou  eat  bread."  If  any  man  will  not  work, 
neither  let  him  eat."  It  is  also  a  sin  against  our  nature; 
causing  a  slow  movement,  which  is  a  serious  disappoint- 
ment; tardiness,  which  is  like  a  dead  fly  in  precious  oint- 
ment; and,  that  loathsome  disease,  laziness.  Like  drunk- 
enness it  is  an  inexcusable  shame,  that  dooms  one  to  poverty 
and  clothes  him  with  rags.  Shun  idleness  as  you  do  the 
sting  of  a  hornet,  or  the  bite  of  a  rattler. 

"We  are  not  here  to  play,  to  dream,  to  drift, 

We  have  our  work  to  do,  and  loads  to  lift. 

Shun  not  the  struggle ;  face  it.    'Tis  God's  gift." 

"They  are  slaves  who  fear  to  speak, 

For  the  fallen  and  the  weak. 

They  are  slaves  who  will  not  choose 

Hatred,  scoffing  and  abuse, 

Rather  than  in  silence  shrink 

From  the  truth  they  needs  must  think; 

They  are  slaves,  who  dare  not  be 

In  the  right  with  two  or  three."    Lowell. 

Do  your  best.  Put  your  best  efforts  in  your  work,  no 
matter  how  simple  or  difficult  the  task. 


248  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

"1  am  passing  through  this  world  but  once.  I  will 
therefore  do  my  best  every  day,  and  do  all  the  good  to  all 
the  people  I  can." 

"I  do  the  very  best  I  know  how — the  very  best  I  can; 
and  I  mean  to  keep  doing  so  until  the  end.  If  the  end  brings 
me  out  all  right,  what  is  said  against  me  won't  amount  to 
anything.  If  the  end  brings  me  out  wrong,  ten  angels  swear- 
ing I  was  right  would  make  no  difference."  Abraham 
Lincoln. 

Efficiency.  Efficiency  is  the  ability  to  perform  work 
in  the  shortest  and  quickest  way,  by  omitting  every  use- 
less movement. 

Faith.  Faith  rests  on  facts  and  realities.  It  is  the 
basis  of  home  and  business.  "It  swings  the  rainbow  across 
the  dark  clouds,  makes  heroes  in  life's  battles,  extracts  the 
poison  from  Satan's  arrows  and  links  us  to  God  and  the 
good  in  heaven." 

Let  us  have  faith  that  right  makes  might,  and  in  that 
faith  let  us  to  the  end  dare  to  do  our  duty,  as  we  understand 
it.  With  malice  toward  none,  with  charity  for  all,  with  firm- 
ness in  the  right  as  God  gives  us  to  see  the  right,  let  us 
strive  on  to  finish,  the  work  we  are  in.  Abraham  Lin- 
coln at  Gettysburg. 

Gladness.  Gladness  is  sown  for  the  upright.  The  joy 
of  the  Lord  is  your  strength.  Manifest  your  joy  and  glad- 
ness by  wearing  the  smile  of  contentment  and  love.  It  in- 
cludes a  sparkle  in  the  eye,  a  little  ripple  on  the  cheek  and 
the  kind  word  that  "never  dies." 

"Smile  and  the  world  smiles  with  you, 
Laugh  and  the  world  will  roar, 
Growl  and  the  world  will  leave  you, 
And  never  come  back  any  more. 
All  of  us  could  not  be  handsome, 
Nor  all  of  us  wear  good  clothes, 
But  a  smile  is  not  expensive. 
And  covers  a  world  of  woes." 

Energy.  Energy  is  power  in  action.  Stagnant  water 
lacks  power,  but  water  in  action  produces  steam,  the  power 
that  moves  the  world's  machinery  and  traffic.  Knowledge 
in  action  means  power  on  the  farm,  in  the  home  and  in  the 
church. 


MAXIMS  AND  SUGGESTIONS  249 

"God  bless  the  man  who  sows  the  wheat, 
Produces  milk  and  fruit  and  meat; 
His  purse  be  heavy,  his  heart  be  light, 
His  corn  and  cattle  all  go  right, 
God  bless  the  seed  his  hand  lets  fall, 
The  farmer  produces  the  food  for  all." 

Knowledge.  Knowledge  is  power,  when  it  is  wisely  as- 
sorted, assimilated  and  immediately  employed;  as  is  the 
water  of  a  river,  when  it  is  used  to  produce  electric  power. 
The  knowledge  that  leads  to  sovereign  power,  includes  self- 
knowledge,  self-  respect  and  self-  control.  The  man  who 
does  well  whatsoever  he  undertakes,  cannot  be  kept  down, 
except  by  his  own  indiscretions. 

A  good  character  is  essential  to  the  soul  winner.  It 
is  a  false  notion  that  one  must  meet  the  world  on  its  own  lev- 
el— drink  to  win  a  drinker,  smoke  to  win  a  smoker,  and  play 
the  world's  games  in  order  to  win  it  to  Christ.  Richard 
Hobbs. 

Thrift.  Thrift  consists  in  increasing  the  value  of  our 
possessions  every  year,  by  making  good  investments  of  our 
time  and  money,  and  by  earning  more  than  is  spent  for  liv- 
ing expenses.    "A  penny  saved  is  two  pence  earned." 

Our  Father  in  heaven  sends  no  man  into  this  world 
without  a  work,  and  a  capacity  to  perform  that  work. 

"Live  for  thore  that  love  you, 
For  those  you  know  are  true; 
For  the  cause  that  lacks  assistance, 
For  the  wrong  that  needs  resistance; 
For  the  future  in  the  distance; 
And  the  good  that  you  can  do." 

"A  fool  with  a  gun  or  an  axe  can  destroy  in  five  minu- 
tes, what  it  took  nature  years  to  perfect  and  perpetuate." 

A  little  house  well  filled, 

A  little  field  well  tilled, 

A  good  wife  well  willed,  are  great  riches. 

Leaders.  Be  a  leader.  A  leader  does  his  thinking  be- 
fore hand  and  endeavors  to  provide  for  every  need.  He  must 
be  well  informed  and  know  how  to  arouse  interest  and  stimu- 
late activity.  He  must  discover  and  adopt  only  the  best 
methods.    The  rewards  of  leadership  are  a  continually  in- 


250  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

creasing  power  to  lead  others  and  the  ability  to  conduct 
your  own  life  most  usefully  and  happily. 

"A  good  farmer's  tools  are  under  shelter; 
But  Pete  Tumbledown's  lie  helter-skelter; 
And  when  he  wants  his  tools  again 
He  finds  them  rusty  from  the  rain." 

"Divide  and  conquer,"  was  Joshua's  rule  of  strategy  in 
the  conquest  of  Canaan.  "Separate  for  the  march,  unite 
for  the  attack,"  was  a  maxim  of  Napoleon.  Both  are  good 
rules  for  the  people  in  all  our  churches,  in  their  constant 
conflict  with  vice  and  iniquity. 

The  noblest  man  does  not  always  uphold  his  rights, 
but  waives  them  for  his  own  good  and  the  good  of  others. 
A  keen  sense  of  honor,  that  condemns  dishonorable  conduct, 
is  one  of  the  finest  results  of  a  good  education.  Education 
is  expected  to  do  for  the  mind,  what  sculpture  does  to  a 
block  of  marble. 

"A  merry  farmer's  girl  am  I, 

My  songs  are  gay  and  blithe; 

For  in  my  humble  country  home 

I  lead  a  free,  glad  life. 

Through  fertile  fields  and  gardens  mine, 

I  love  at  will  to  roam, 

And  as  I  wander,  gayly  sing, 

This  is  my  own,  free  home, 

My  own  free  home." 

Genius.  There  is  no  genius  like  a  love  for  hard  work. 
Hard  work  develops  strength,  increases  usefulness,  and  tends 
to  length  of  days.  Six  days  shalt  thou  labor  and  do  all  thy 
work.  In  the  sweat  of  thy  face  shalt  thou  eat  bread.  Labor 
conquers  all  things. 

"He  lives  the  best  who  never  does  complain, 
Whether  the  passing  days  be  filled  with  sun  or  rain. 
Who  patiently  toils  on  though  feet  be  sore, 
Whose  home  stands  by  the  road  with  open  door; 
Who  smiles  though  down  he  sits  to  feast  or  crust, 
His  faith  in  man  sincere,  in  God  his  trust." 

A.  F.  Caldwell. 

Seek  employment  by  the  month  or  year,  rather  than 
by  the  day ;  and  render  unswerving  loyalty  to  those  of  your 


MAXIMS  AND  SUGGESTIONS  251 

own  home,  school  and  church ;  and  those  who  favor  you  with 
employment. 

A  man's  work  is  the  expression  of  his  worth.  It  should 
make  a  man  of  him,  and  give  him  great  pleasure  and  delight. 
When  a  man  knows  his  work  and  does  it  with  the  enthusi- 
asm of  Nehemiah,  it  gives  him  joy  and  enables  him  to  exert 
a  good  influence.  "That  man  is  blest  who  does  his  best  and 
leaves  the  rest." 

The  world  owes  no  man  a  living,  but  every  man  owes 
the  world  an  honest  effort  to  make  at  least  his  own  living. 

SAVE  THE  BOY;  SAVE  THE  GIRL! 

Save  them  from  bad  habits  and  evil  associations.  Save 
them  for  useful  careers,  happy  homes  and  a  glorious  inher- 
itance. 

"If  a  blessing  you  have  known, 
Twas  not  given  for  you  alone, 

Pass  it  on. 
Let  it  travel  down  the  years, 
Let  it  dry  another's  tears, 
Till  in  heaven  the  deed  appears, 
Pass  it  on. 

Greatness:  Goodness  is  the  basis  of  that  service  that 
leads  to  greatness.  The  keynote  of  that  service  is  found 
in  the  words :  "The  Son  of  man  came  not  to  be  ministered  un- 
to, but  to  minister,  and  to  give  his  life  for  many."  The  cross 
is  the  symbol  of  a  service  that  is  faithful,  even  unto  death. 

"So  live  that  every  thought  and  deed  may  hold  within 
itself  the  seed  of  future  good  and  future  need." 

Undertake  great  things  for  God  and  His  glory  and  ex- 
pect great  things  from  Him. 

"Never  trouble  trouble 
Until  trouble  troubles  you." 

Prudent,  hopeful  and  enthusiastic  are  those  who  make 
the  "desert  to  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose." 

Habits:  A  habit  is  a  cable;  we  spin  a  thread  of  it 
every  day,  and  at  last  we  cannot  break  it. 

Thoughts  leave  an  ineffaceable  trace  on  the  brain  or 
memory. 


252  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

"Sow  a  thought  and  you  reap  an  act, 
Sow  an  act  and  you  reap  a  habit. 
Sow  a  habit  and  you  reap  a  character, 
Sow  a  character  and  you  reap  a  destiny." 

A  pretty  oak  tree  is  a  beautiful  emblem  of  the  strength, 
beauty  and  eminent  usefulness  of  an  intelligent  and  noble 
man.  Train  the  head,  the  heart  and  hand,  and  thus  develop 
that  strength  and  beauty  of  character,  that  fits  one  for  the 
most  eminent  usefulness. 

A  single  aim  means  undivided  attention  and  interest. 
Concentrate  your  faculties  on  the  particular  work  of  each 
day,  that  later  you  may  be  able  to  give  your  undivided  at- 
tention to  your  chosen  employment.  All  great  achievements 
have  been  won  by  those  who  have  had  a  single  aim.  "Con- 
sider the  postage  stamp,  my  son ;  its  usefulness  consists  in 
sticking  to  one  thing,  until  it  gets  there." — Josh  Billings. 

Concentrate  your  energies  and  be  master  of  your  work, 
The  world  crowns  him  who  knows  one  thing  and  does  it  bet- 
ter than  others. 

I  will.  Always  say,  "I  will"  or  "I'll  try,"  when  work  or 
a  duty  is  proposed,  that  can  and  ought  to  be  done.  Never 
say,  "I  can't"  or  "I  won't",  except  to  resist  a  temptation  to  do 
wrong.  While  the  "I  can'ts"  fail  in  everything,  and  the  "I 
won'ts"  oppose  everything,  the  "I  will's"  do  the  world's 
work. 

God  has  a  plan  for  every  life.  He  made  you  for  use 
and  for  His  own  use.  He  gives  power  to  those  whom  He 
uses.  Let  Him  use  you.  Your  happiness  depends  on  the 
consciousness  you  are  fulfilling  your  divinely  appointed 
mission;  and  your  success,  on  your  will  being  in  harmony 
with  your  work. 

Only  the  tuned  violin  can  make  music;  and  only  the 
life  in  harmony  with  God  can  "please  him"  or  "win  souls" 
to  Him.    Spiritual  power  is  necessary  for  spiritual  work. 

Investments.  Invest  only  where  your  investment  will  be 
under  your  own  personal  supervision,  or  that  of  a  known  and 
trusted  friend.  Invest  only  in  those  kinds  of  properties, 
the  successful  and  profitable  management  of  which,  you 
best  understand. 

Investments  in  young  stock  and  good  real  estate  in- 


MAXIMS  AND  SUGGESTIONS  253 

crease  in  value ;  but  investments  in  rolling  stock  always  de- 
crease in  value.  Buy  low  from  those  who  have  to  sell,  and 
sell  to  those  who  want  to  buy. 

Seek  counsel  only  of  those  who  are  achieving  success, 
and  never  trust  a  stranger. 

Home.  A  home  is  one  of  the  best  investments  for  every 
one  of  moderate  means.  It  provides  a  shelter  for  the  in- 
dividual and  for  the  family,  no  matter  what  may  happen.  A 
regular  income  must  be  assured  in  order  to  retain  a  place  to 
sleep  in  a  rented  house.  The  early  desire  to  own  a  home 
makes  steady  employment  a  source  of  pleasure. 

It  is  not  what  we  eat,  but  what  we  digest,  that  makes  us 
strong. 

It  is  not  what  we  read,  but  what  we  remember,  that 
makes  us  learned. 

It  is  not  what  we  earn,  but  what  we  save,  that  makes 
us  rich. 

Home.  A  christian  home  is  a  precious  heritage.  It 
is  the  divinely  appointed  educator  of  mankind.  Its  seclu- 
sion, shelter  and  culture  are  invaluable.  There  the  mother 
whose  hand  rocks  the  cradle,  moves  the  world,  teaching 
the  lessons  of  obedience,  self-control,  faith  and  trust.  Use 
only  a  mellow,  and  sweet  tone  of  voice  in  the  home.  A  kind 
and  gentle  voice  is  a  pearl  of  great  price  that,  like  the  cheery 
song  of  the  lark,  increases  the  joy  and  happiness  of  the 
home  with  passing  years. 

"The  farmer's  trade  is  one  of  worth, 
He  is  partner  with  the  earth  and  sky; 
He  is  partner  with  the  sun  and  rain, 
And  no  man  loses  by  his  gain. 
And  men  may  rise  and  men  may  fall; 
The  farmer,  he  must  feed  them  all." 

"Man's  chief  end  is  to  glorify  God  and  enjoy  Him  for- 
ever." 

Knowledge.  "Other  things  may  be  seized  by  might  or 
purchased  with  money;  but  knowledge  is  to  be  gained  only 
by  study." — Johnson. 

"He  that  studies  only  men,  will  get  the  body  of  know- 
ledge, without  the  soul ;  and  he  that  studies  only  books,  the 
sou;  without  the  body.     He  that  to  what  he  sees  adds  ob- 


254  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

servation,  and  to  what  he  reads,  reflection,  is  in  the  right 
road  to  knowledge,  provided  that  in  scrutinizing  the  hearts 
of  others  he  neglects  not  his  own." — Cotton. 

Co-operation.  "All  real  progress  of  the  individual,  or 
of  society,  comes  through  the  joining  of  hands  and  working 
together  in  a  spirit  of  helpfulness  for  the  common  good." 

A  brother  in  need  is  a  brother  indeed. 

"Whoso  hath  this  world's  goods  and  seeth  his  brother 
in  need  and  shutteth  up  his  bowels  of  compassion  from  him, 
how  dwelleth  the  love  of  God  in  him?" 

Never  go  security  for  any  one  who  cannot  give  you  a 
mortgage  or  whose  word  is  not  as  good  as  his  bond.  "He 
that  is  surety  for  a  stranger,  shall  smart  for  it ;  and  he  that 
hateth  suretyship  is  sure." 

Eloquence.  Eloquence  is  the  expression  of  a  moral 
conviction.  It  is  overpowering  when  the  moral  conviction 
is  tremenduously  felt.  This  was  the  secret  of  the  eloquence 
of  Lincoln,  Beecher  and  Garrison,  when  they  spoke  of  the 
wrong  of  slavery;  and  of  John  B.  Gough,  Neal  Dow  and 
Frances  Willard,  when  they  plead  for  an  uprising  against 
the  curse  of  stronk  drink. 

Marriage.  Marriage  is  a  divine  ordinance,  instituted 
by  our  Heavenly  Father  in  the  time  of  man's  innocency.  It 
is  not  a  sacrament,  but  a  social  institution,  intended  to  pro- 
mote the  comfort  and  happiness  of  mankind,  through  the 
establishmentofthe  family  relationship,  and  a  responsible 
home,  where  the  children  may  be  trained  for  the  service  of 
God  and  the  work  of  their  generation.  The  gospel  hallows 
all  the  relations  of  life  and  sanctions  the  innocent  enjoyment 
of  all  the  good  gifts  of  God.  It  purifies  the  hearts  of  those 
who  walk  in  the  way  of  obedience  and  induces  the  peace  that 
passeth  understanding. 

"Life  is  real,  life  is  earnest 
And  the  grave  is  not  its  goal, 
Dust  thou  art  to  dust  returnest, 

Was  not  written  of  the  soul. 

Let  us  then  be  up  and  doing, 

With  a  heart  for  any  fate ; 
Still  achieving  still  pursuing, 

Learn  to  labor  and  to  wait." — Longfellow. 


MAXIMS  AND  SUGGESTIONS  255 

Robbers.  Idleness,  tardiness  and  "late  nights,"  are 
three  bold  bad  robbers,  that  must  be  strenuously  resisted  and 
overcome.  Be  watchful  or  they  may  rob  you  of  the  best 
that  is  in  you. 

Spare  Moments.  It  is  better  to  be  a  busy  silent  reader 
in  the  home  or  school  and  learn  something  useful,  than  to 
be  an  idle,  noisy  talker,  disturbing  others  and  causing  the 
loss  or  forfeiture  of  valuable  privileges. 

Have  a  book  for  spare  moments  in  the  home.  Read  only 
good  books,  the  Bible  and  catechism  first ;  then  those  on  his- 
tory, biography,  travel,  and  progress  in  the  arts  and  sciences, 
including  one  on  your  own  occupation.  Do  not  read  worth- 
less story  books.  They  will  rob  you  of  your  time,  and  the 
taste  for  the  Bible  and  other  good  books.  Time  wasted  in 
idleness  or  reading  worthless  books  means  bad  companions, 
bad  habits,  and  the  loss  of  opportunity,  energy  and  vitality. 
Learn  to  abhor  idleness  as  nature  does  a  vacuum. 

Say  No.  Have  the  courage  to  say  "no"  to  every  solicita- 
tion to  violate  rule  or  known  duty.  "The  companion  of  fools 
shall  be  destroyed."  "Though  hand  join  in  hand  the  guilty 
shall  not  go  unpunished."  "This  is  Fabricius,  the  man 
whom  it  is  more  difficult  to  turn  from  his  integrity,  than  the 
sun  from  his  course." — Pyrrhus. 

Writing.  Train  the  hand  and  inform  the  mind  so  you 
can  write  the  English  language, 

"Plain  to  the  eye  and  gracefully  combined." 

"The  pen  engraves  for  every  art  and  indites  for  every 
press.  It  is  the  preservative  of  language,  the  business  man's 
security,  the  poor  boy's  patron  and  the  ready  servant  of 
mind." — Spencer. 

Train:  The  hand  to  be  graceful,  steady,  strong; 
The  Eye  to  be  alert  and  observing; 
The  Memory  to  be  accurate  and  retentive; 

The  Heart  to  be  tender,  true  and  sympathetic. 

Promptness.  Promptness  takes  the  drudgery  out  of 
an  occupation.  The  decision  of  a  moment  often  determines 
the  destiny  of  years.  Every  moment  lost  affords  an  op- 
portunity for  misfortune.  Punctuality  is  the  soul  of  busi- 
ness, the  mother  of  confidence  and  credit.  Only  those,  who 
keep  their  time,  can  be  trusted  to  keep  their  word.  Tardiness 


256  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

is  a  disappointment  and  an  interruption ;  a  kind  of  falsehood 
and  theft  of  time. 

Vices.  The  four  great  vices  of  this  age  are  Sabbath- 
breaking,  gambling,  intemperance  and  licentiousness.  These 
must  be  fought  all  the  time,  like  the  great  plagues  that  at- 
tack the  body,  tuberculosis,  leprosy  and  small  pox.  The 
gospel  will  save  any  one  from  all  of  them ;  and  some  day  it 
will  sweep  them  from  the  earth,  as  they  are  now  kept  from 
heaven. 

"A  Sabbath  well  spent 

Brings  a  week  of  content, 
And  strength  for  the  toils  of  the  morrow ; 

But  a  Sabbath  profaned, 

Whatso'er  may  be  gained, 
Is  a  certain  forerunner  of  sorrow." 

To  be  a  leader  is  a  praiseworthy  ambition.  A  leader  is 
one  who  wins  the  confidence  of  the  people  so  that  they  are 
willing  to  follow.  Our  Lord  Jesus  gave  the  secret  of  leader- 
ship, when  he  said :  "Whosoever  would  be  first  among  you, 
shall  be  servant  of  all ;"  and  again,  "The  Son  of  Man  came 
not  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister,  and  to  give  his  life 
a  ransom  for  many." 

America.  America  is  a  land  of  opportunity,  where  the 
poor  boy  secures  a  home  and  later  may  participate  in  the 
government.  Most  of  those,  who  are  managing  the  world's 
work  to  day,  were  poor  boys  yesterday.  If  you  are  in  the 
school  of  adversity  today,  do  not  be  discouraged,  "thank  God 
and  take  courage;"  for  you  are  merely  on  the  same  level 
with  those,  who  by  their  energy  and  thrift,  are  making 
sure  of  success  tomorrow.  When  Lord  Beaconsfield  became 
a  member  of  Parliament,  and  the  other  members  did  not 
care  to  listen  to  his  youthful  speeches,  he  said  to  himself, 
"I  am  not  a  slave  nor  a  captive;  and  by  energy  I  can  over- 
come great  obstacles.  The  time  will  come  when  you  will 
hear  me." 

Books.  "The  first  time  I  read  an  excellent  book,"  said 
Goldsmith,  "it  is  to  me  as  if  I  had  gained  a  new  friend." 
"Books  are  the  pillars  of  progress,  the  inspiration  of  man- 
kind. They  exert  a  wonderful  influence  and  a  mighty  power, 
though  silent,"  says  John  Knox  in  Ready  Money,"in  liftingup 
humanity  and  making  progress  possible."  They  enable  the 
reader  to  converse  and  associate  with  the  noblest  and  best 


Fruits  Approved  at  Oak  Hill  in  1912,  for  the 
Home  Orchard  in  Southern  Oklahoma. 


Peaches:  1,  Mamie  Ross;  2,  Waddell;  3,  Alton:  4,  Capt.  Ede;  5,  Carman; 
6,  Early  Elberla;  7,  Illinois;  8,  Elberta  (Queen);  9,  Belle  of  Georgia; 
10,  Champion;   11,  Late  Crawford;   12,  Late  Elberta. 

Apples:  13,  Duchess;  14,  Maiden  Blush;  15,  Wilson  Red  June;  16,  Deli- 
cious; 17,  Jonathan;  18,  Wolf  River;  19,  King  David;  20,  Stayman 
Wine  Sap;  21,  Ben  Davis;  22,  Mammoth  Grimes  Golden;  23,  Black 
Ben;   24,    Champion;   and,    Missouri   Pippin. 


The  Flames  Consuming  the  Old  Farm  House, 
Looking  Northeast. 


The  Bridge  of  Life. 

The  Bible  elements  of  a  good  character;  their  two-fold  foundation,  and  bond  — 

the  Sabbath. 


MAXIMS  AND  SUGGESTIONS  257 

minds.    In  them  we  have  the  thoughts  and  deeds,  the  ex- 
perience and  inspiration  of  all  the  great  ones  of  earth. 

Good  books,  that  breathe  the  best  thoughts  and  exper- 
iences of  others,  are  trusted  friends,  that  bring  instruction, 
entertainment  and  contentment  to  the  home.  As  compan- 
ions and  counselors  they  supply  a  real  want,  that  makes  the 
home  more  than  merely  a  place  for  food  and  raiment. 
"Writing  makes  an  exact  man,  talking  makes  a  ready  man, 
but  reading  makes  him  a  full  man," — that  is  a  man  of  in- 
telligence. A  man  is  known  by  the  books  he  reads  and  the 
company  he  keeps.  Let  some  of  the  world's  best  books 
find  an  inviting  and  permanent  place  in  your  home. 

Books  and  voices  make  a  glorious  combination.  No  one 
can  tell  what  good  books  and  good  voices  may  not  do.  The 
Word  of  God  and  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus,  have  come  to 
us  in  the  form  of  a  book,  and  we  call  it  by  way  of  pre-emin- 
ence, "The  Bible,"  or  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments. Our  attention  has  been  directed  to  them  by  the  liv- 
ing voice.  Let  your  tongues  proclaim  the  glad  message  of 
divine  truth  and  redeeming  love.  The  Holy  Spirit  will  re- 
cord the  results  in  the  Lamb's  Book  of  Life. 

Read  and  preserve  the  books. 

WIT  AND  HUMOR 

"Laugh,  and  grow  fat." 

"A  merry  heart  doeth  good  like  a  medicine." 

Aunt  Dinah :  "How  long  hab  you  dis  set  of  dishes  ?" 

Mother  Hubbard :  "Let  me  see ;  I've  had  'em — four  girls 
and  a  half." 

Mike:  "Do  ye  believe  in  the  recall  of  judges,  Pat?" 

Pat :  "That  I  do  not.  The  last  time  I  was  up  before  his 
honor  he  sez :  'I  recall  that  face. — Sixty  days.'  I'm  agin  the 
recall  of  judges."Life. 

Bishop :  "Well,  Mr.  Jones,  how  do  you  like  your  preach- 
er?" 

Deacon  Jones:  "He's  de  best  I  eber  seed,  to  take  de 
Bible  apart ;  but  he  dun'  no  how  to  put  it  to  gedder  agen." 


258  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

A  Swede,  that  had  not  yet  had  time  to  learn  our  lan- 
guage was  accused  of  throwing  a  stone  through  a  plate  glass 
window.  When  the  lawyers  failed  to  enable  him  to  des- 
cribe it's  size  the  judge  asked: 

"Was  it  as  big  as  my  fist?" 

"It  ben  bigger,"  the  Swede  replied. 

"Was  it  as  big  as  my  two  fists," 

"It  ben  bigger." 

"Was  it  as  big  as  my  head?" 

"It  ben  about  as  long,  but  not  so  thick,"  the  Swede  re- 
plied, amid  the  laughter  of  the  court. 

The  German's  trouble  with  the  English  language. 

Visitor:  "Those  are  two  fine  dogs  you  have." 

Cobbler:     "Yes  und  de  funny  part  of  it  iss,  dat  de 

biggest  dog  is  de  leettlest  one." 

Cobbler's  Wife:     "You  must  mine  husband  egscuse; 

he  shpeaks  not  very  good  English.    He  means  de  oldest  dog 

is  de  youngest  one." 


XXXI 

RULES,  MOTTOES  AND  COURSE  OF 
STUDY 

WALL  MOTTOES 

I.  OAK  HILL  MOTTO 

Time  is  precious 

Time  is  money — 
Do  not  stand  idle,  waiting, 
Do  not  keep  others  waiting, 

Do  something  useful. 
Be  a  busy,  silent  worker, 
Shun  the  idle,  noisy  shirker. 

II.  RULE  OF  ORDER 

Order  is  the  first  law  of  Heaven,  and  it  is  the  first  rule 
in  every  well  regulated  home,  school  and  church. 

IT  REQUIRES  THAT  EVERYONE: 

BE  in  the  right  place  at  the  right  time, 
DO  the  right  thing  in  the  right  way, 
DO  the  same  things  the  same  way, 
KEEP  everything  in  the  right  place ;  and 
COMPLETE  whatever  has  been  undertaken. 

ENDEAVOR  BENEDICTION 

"The  Lord  bless  thee  and  keep  thee : 

The  Lord  make  his  face  shine  upon  thee  and  be  grac- 
ious unto  thee : 

The  Lord  lift  up  his  countenance  upon  thee,  and  give 
thee  peace. 

And  unto  him  that  loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our 
sins  in  his  own  blood  and  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests 
unto  God  and  his  Father ;  to  him  be  glory  and  dominion  for- 
ever and  ever.  Amen." 

(259) 


260  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

III.    ESSENTIALS  TO  SUCCESS 

An  unwavering  aim, 

Unswerving  integrity, 
Intelligent  industry, 
Neverfailing  promptness, 

Indomitable  perseverance, 

Unbounded  enthusiasm, 
Willing  and  strict  economy, 

In  the  employment  of  time, 

Talents,  money  and  expenses. 

IV.    BUSY  DAY 

THIS  is  our  BUSY  DAY. 

Do  not  intrude  here  to  day. 

Come  some  other  day. 

LOAFERS 

Are  worse  than  useless.    Their  presence  here  is 

STRICTLY  FORBIDDEN. 

KEY  WORDS :  The  Key  words  that  open  or  close  doors 
of  opportunity,  and  contrast  the  characteristics  of  the  good 
and  bad  student,  are  as  follows: 

GOOD  STUDENT 

POET:  Politeness,  Obedience,  Economy  and  Earn- 
estness, Thoughtfulness. 

BAD  PUPIL 

DIED:  Disorderly  conduct,  Idleness,  Extravagance, 
Deceit. 

GOOD  WORKMAN 

STEAM:     Steam  is  a  good  key  word,  to  enable  one  to 
remember  how  the  good  workman  works  efficiently  and 
profitably.    He  works: 
Steadily, 

Thoughtfully, 

Enthusiastically, 
Alone, 

Methodically. 


RULES,  MOTTOES  AND  COURSE  OF  STUDY   261 

RULES  AND  REGULATIONS 

I.    STUDENTS 

The  Superintendent  and  Teachers  wish  all  the  students 
to  be  gladdened  and  strengthened  by  the  joy  of  successful 
achievement.  To  effect  this  each  student  must  learn  to  do 
promptly  and  thoroughly  everything  he  knows  he  ought  to 
do,  and  refrain  absolutely  from  doing  anything  he  knows 
he  ought  not  to  do.    "The  joy  of  the  Lord  is  your  strength." 

Order.  Good  order  must  be  maintained  in  all  the  build- 
ings and  premises.  It  requires  that  there  be  a  place  for 
everything  and  everything  be  kept  in  its  place;  that  each 
student  know  his  place  and  be  in  it  at  the  right  nick  of  time. 

Silence.  All  are  expected  to  be  silent,  thoughtful,  earn- 
est workers  so  as  to  make  perfect  recitations.  The  discipline 
of  absolute  silence  is  necessary  to  the  attainment  of  com- 
plete self  control,  and  the  achievement  of  the  best  results, 
both  as  a  student  and  workman.  Silence  must  be  observed 
in  the  Academy  at  all  times,  and  only  a  low  tone  of  voice 
is  appropriate  in  the  other  buildings  at  any  time. 

Obedience.  All  are  expected  to  yield  a  prompt  and 
cheerful  obedience  to  all  the  Rules  and  Regulations,  and 
never  indulge  in  any  disputes  with  your  teachers. 

Students  render  themselves  liable  to  suspension  or  ex- 
pulsion by  persistent  disobedience,  quarreling,  disorderly 
conduct,  profane  or  unchaste  language,  truancy,  or  general 
disregard  for  the  rules  of  the  school. 

No  student  known  to  be  affected  with  a  contagious  dis- 
ease, or  coming  from  a  family  where  such  diseases  exist, 
shall  be  received  or  continued  in  the  school. 

Pupils  must  procure  drinks  and  make  all  other  necessary 
preparation  for  school  at  playtime,  and  keep  their  places 
after  the  bell  rings. 

Pupils  shall  not  ask  questions,  walk  across  or  leave  the 
room  while  classes  are  reciting,  nor  at  any  other  time  with- 
out permission. 

Pupils  must  observe  the  common  forms  of  politeness 
and  at  all  times  treat  their  teachers  and  one  another  with 
courtesy  and  respect. 

No  pupil  shall  be  permitted  to  leave  or  be  absent  from 


262  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

the  school  during  school  hours,  except  in  case  of  illness 
without  an  excuse  from  the  superintendent  or  parent. 

Rooms.  The  rooms  occupied  by  the  students  are  merely 
sleeping  apartments ;  and  for  this  purpose  the  pure  cold  air 
in  them  is  conducive  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  most  rugged 
health.  They  must  not  be  used  for  study  or  amusement, 
especially  at  night ;  and  drafts  of  air  from  the  windows  must 
be  avoided. 

Each  student  on  rising,  when  no  other  provision  is  made 
is  expected  to  air  the  bed  and  room,  to  empty  the  slop  pail 
and  put  it  on  its  shelf  in  the  sun,  to  make  the  bed  and  sweep 
the  room ;  and  after  breakfast  to  report  for  duty,  the  boys 
at  the  office,  and  the  girls  to  the  matron.  They  will  report 
in  the  same  way  at  2:30  p.  m.,  and  the  children  at  4:00  p.  m. 

All  are  expected  to  refrain  from  returning  to  the  sleep- 
ing rooms  during  the  day,  from  entering  the  rooms  of  others 
in  the  evening  and  from  receiving  visitors  without  permis- 
sion.   The  doors  must  be  kept  closed. 

Illness.  The  first  duty  of  everyone  who  becomes  ill  is 
to  report  that  fact  to  the  superintendent,  or  matron.  He  ex- 
pects everyone  to  perform  every  duty  assigned  in  a  faith- 
ful and  responsible  manner,  until  notice  of  illness  has  been 
received. 

All  are  required,  even  when  feeling  indisposed  and  lack- 
ing an  appetite,  to  come  to  the  table  for  warm  drinks  at  the 
regular  meal  time. 

All  requests  for  meals  to  be  brought  to  the  rooms  shall 
be  sent  to  the  matron  or  superintendent  at  or  before  meal 
time. 

Sitting  Rooms.  The  small  boys,  when  needing  the  com- 
fort of  a  warm  room,  must  occupy  their  own  sitting  room, 
and  the  larger  boys  and  girls  the  rooms  provided  for  them, 
respectively;  each  endeavoring  to  make  a  good  use  of  their 
spare  moments,  while  occupying  these  places,  and  observe 
the  rule  requiring  quiet  and  good  order  in  the  buildings. 

Chapel  Bell.  The  chapel  bell  shall  be  rung  at  7:45  and 
7:55  a.  m. ;  at  12:45  and  12:55  p.  m. ;  at  2:40  p.  m.  and  at 
6:45  and  6:55  p.  m.  Every  student  is  expected  to  be  in  his 
place  and  be  ready  for  work  on  his  studies,  before  the  tap 
bell  is  heard  at  8:00  a.  m.,  1:00  p.  m.  and  7:00  p.  m. 

Farm  Bell.    The  signal  for  the  janitors  or  fire  makers 


RULES,  MOTTOES  AND  COURSE  OF  STUDY   263 

shall  be  rung  at  5:40  a.  m.,  the  call  to  rise,  at  6:00  a.  m. ;  for 
dinner  at  11 :40  a.  m. ;  supper  at  5 :40  p.  m. ;  retiring  at  8 :20 
and  8:30  p.  m.,  when  all  lights  in  the  rooms  must  be 
put  out. 

The  dining  room  bell  will  ring  for  breakfast,  at  6:20  a. 
m. ;  dinner,  at  11:55  a.  m. ;  supper,  at  6:00  p.  m. 

All  matters  for  the  mail  must  be  delivered  at  the  office 
before  1:00  p.  m. 

II.  MEETINGS  AND  CHORES 

Genius.  All  are  encouraged  to  learn  how  to  work  hard 
and  constantly,  and  to  use  every  spare  moment  for  some 
good  purpose.  There  is  no  genius  like  that  for  hard  work. 
Enthusiastic  interest  in  one's  work  is  essential  to  success. 
Idleness  is  a  sin,  a  waste  of  life,  and  cannot  be  endured  at 
Oak  Hill,  which  is  intended  to  be  a  hive  of  industry. 

Carefulness.  All  must  learn  to  use  rightly  and  careful- 
ly the  books,  slates,  tools,  and  furniture  entrusted  to  them. 
All  injuries  to  books,  furniture  or  buildings  must  be  paid 
for  by  those  guilty  of  injuring  them. 

Services.  All,  unless  specially  excused,  are  required  to 
attend  all  the  religious  services  on  the  Sabbath,  including 
the  Bible  Memory  class.  The  Endeavor  meeting  is  the 
student's  special  training  service;  all  are  expected  to  par- 
ticipate in  it,  by  at  least  reading  or  repeating  a  verse  of 
Scripture ;  and  in  the  Bible  Memory  class  by  committing  an 
average  of  one  verse  a  day.  All  are  encouraged  to  covet  the 
best  gifts,  especially  the  power  of  complete  self-control,  and 
the  ability  to  say  things  forcibly,  and  do  things  thoroughly. 

Speakers.  Those  speak  with  authority,  who,  instead  of 
telling  what  they  think,  or  making  an  apology,  tell  what  the 
Bible,  the  law  of  the  Lord,  says.  All  should  endeavor  to  in- 
struct, animate  and  encourage ;  none  should  ever  indulge  in 
fault-finding,  or  allude  to  any  personal  grievance. 

Leaders.  Leaders  of  meetings  are  expected  to  be  fully 
prepared  before  hand,  to  stand  when  they  speak;  to  speak 
sufficiently  loud  and  distinct  as  to  be  easily  heard  by  the 
most  distant  listener ;  to  repeat  the  numbers  of  the  hymns ; 
to  request  the  audience  to  stand  during  prayer ;  to  afford  an 
opportunity  for  volunteer  prayers  or  remarks;  and  to  close 
the  meeting  as  soon  as  the  interest  in  it  has  ended. 


264  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Immorality.  No  one  guilty  of  persistent  immoral  con- 
duct, will  either  be  admitted,  or  be  permitted  to  remain  at 
the  academy. 

Chores.  The  domestic  work  in  all  the  buildings,  the 
care  of  the  stock,  and  the  preparation  of  the  fuel,  are  ap- 
portioned among  the  students,  and  all  are  required  to  do 
their  part. 

Janitors.  The  janitors  must  see  that  the  kindling  has 
been  provided  in  the  evening;  rise  promptly  at  the  call  of 
the  janitor's  signal;  and  have  the  fires  in  the  sitting  rooms 
and  chapel  burning  in  good  shape,  before  the  ringing  of  the 
rising  bell.  These  fires  are  to  be  maintained  during  the  day 
by  those  specially  appointed  to  perform  that  duty.  All  are 
expected,  to  exercise  good  judgment  and  practice  economy  in 
the  use  of  both  the  kindling  and  wood.  The  ashes  from  all 
the  stoves  must  be  carried  to  the  heap  every  morning.  Only 
old  vessels  may  be  used  for  this  purpose  and  these,  when 
emptied,  must  be  returned  to  their  proper  places. 

Care  of  Stock.  Those  assigned  the  care  of  the  stock  are 
required  to  be  prompt  and  faithful  in  caring  for  it;  in  the 
morning,  at  noon  and  evening  day  by  day,  according  to  in- 
structions, without  having  to  be  prompted.  This  work  must 
not  be  left  undone  or  entrusted  to  others,  without  first  noti- 
fying the  superintendent. 

Other  Chores.  This  rule,  requiring  faithfulness,  applies 
also  to  those,  who  have  been  assigned  the  chore  work  about 
the  buildings,  kindling  fires,  sweeping  halls,  cleaning  lamps, 
carrying  water  and  wood. 

Hall  Lamps.  The  hall  lamps,  water  pails  and  other  fix- 
tures, that  are  intended  to  serve  all,  must  never  be  removed 
from  their  places,  to  render  service  to  an  individual. 

III.    WORK  AND  THINGS  FORBIDDEN 

Work  Period.  All  over  13  years  of  age  are  expected  to 
render  three  full  hours  of  faithful  and  efficient  work  each 
day,  and  on  Saturday  until  2:30  p.  m.  Time  lost  by  tardi- 
ness, or  unnecessary  absence  during  the  working  period, 
must  be  made  up  before  the  end  of  the  term. 

Object.  The  aim  of  your  teachers,  during  these  work- 
periods,  is  to  give  you  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  simple 
arts  of  life;  that  you  may  be  intelligent,  capable  and  effi- 


RULES,  MOTTOES  AND  COURSE  OF  STUDY   265 

cient  workmen;  be  enabled  to  make  your  own  homes  more 
comfortable,  and  create  a  demand  for  your  services. 

Tool  Rules.  Each  workman,  at  the  close  of  the  work 
period,  must  return  all  tools  used  to  their  proper  place.  If 
they  have  been  transferred,  then  the  last  one  using  them 
must  return  them.  None  are  permitted  to  use  any  tools,  or 
touch  any  musical  instrument,  until  they  have  been  taught 
the  rules  relating  to  them ;  and  have  been  shown  how  to  use 
them,  and  do  the  work  in  a  skillful  and  workmanlike  man- 
ner. Tools  must  never  be  taken  to  any  of  the  rooms  to  do 
any  repair  work. 

Non-interference.  When  students  are  working  under 
the  direction  of  anyone,  they  must  not  be  interfered  with  by 
others,  nor  leave  the  work  assigned  them,  without  the 
knowledge  and  approval  of  the  one,  under  whose  direction 
they  are  working  at  the  time. 

Irregularity.  Irregularity  greatly  interferes  with  a 
student's  progress  and  the  work  of  his  class  and  teacher. 
Leave  of  absence  during  the  term  cannot  therefore  be  grant- 
ed, except  for  the  most  urgent  reasons.  Those,  that  from 
any  cause,  miss  one  or  more  lessons,  should  endeavor  to 
master  them  when  they  return. 

Caution.  All  are  kindly  advised  never  to  be  guilty  of 
any  word  or  act,  that  will  be  likely  to  cause  you  to  forfeit  the 
esteem  and  confidence  of  the  superintendent,  or  your  teach- 
ers. A  good  student  endeavors  to  aid  and  cheer,  but  never 
disobeys  or  annoys  a  teacher. 

Things  Forbidden.  Never  permit  yourself  to  indulge 
in  any  dispute  with  your  teacher  in  the  school  room,  shop  or 
field. 

Don't  tease,  ridicule  or  despise  others;  be  polite  and 
courteous  to  each  other. 

Don't  indulge  in  the  use  of  profane  or  obscene  language, 
or  in  any  acts  of  deceit,  falsehood  or  theft. 

Don't  use  or  have  in  your  possession,  any  intoxicating 
liquors,  tobacco  or  snuff  in  any  form;  gamblers'  or  obscene 
cards  or  pictures ;  concealed  weapons ;  or  soil  the  floors  with 
spittle  or  wash  water. 

Don't  indulge  in  singing,  whistling,  unnecessary  talk- 
ing or  foolish  laughter  while  working  with  others ;  or  play 
ball  while  others  are  working,  or  choring. 


266  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

All  communications  between  boys  and  girls,  and  all  as- 
sociation or  interference  on  the  play  grounds  are  strictly  for- 
bidden. 

At  the  close  of  all  meetings,  especially  those  in  the  eve- 
ning, the  girls  are  required  to  go  directly  and  quietly  to  their 
hall. 

Don't  be  extravagant  or  foppish  in  your  dress,  or  bor- 
row or  lend,  either  clothing  or  money. 

Don't  send  home  for  eatables  or  other  unnecessary 
things.  New  clothing,  especially  shoes,  should  not  be  sent 
from  home,  without  having  the  measure  taken.  It  is  bet- 
ter to  send  the  money. 

Every  article  of  clothing  needing  to  be  washed  must 
have  the  owner's  name. 

Don't  tamper  with  the  street  lamp,  or  the  plugs  in  the 
water  trough ;  nor  change  the  pins,  tubs  or  tube  at  the  well ; 
nor  roughly  jerk  the  pump  handles  at  the  well  and  cisterns. 

Use  everything  in  the  way  and  for  the  purpose  for 
which  it  was  intended,  never  otherwise. 

Don't  leave  your  seat  in  the  school  room,  or  go  out  of 
it  during  school  hours,  without  permission  from  your  teach- 
er.   Never  sit  on  the  tops  of  the  desks. 

Teachers.  Each  teacher  is  expected  to  keep  in  an  or- 
derly form  on  the  teacher's  desk,  for  use  in  conducting  reci- 
tations, a  complete  set  of  the  Text  books  used  by  the  classes ; 
and  to  prepare  before  hand  all  lessons  or  parts  thereof  that 
may  not  be  familiar. 

The  power  of  suspension  or  exclusion  is  vested  only 
in  the  superintendent.  This  power  must  never  be  exercised 
by  any  of  his  helpers  without  his  previous  knowledge  and 
approval. 

All  matters  relating  to  the  repair  of  the  buildings  and 
their  equipment  should  be  promptly  reported  to  the  super- 
intendent. 

The  aim  of  the  primary  teacher,  at  the  time  of  recita- 
tion, should  be  to  have  all  the  pupils  reproduce  the  entire 
lesson  one  or  more  times  in  concert  and  then  individually 
to  accomplish  this  with  as  few  words  as  possible. 

The  aim  of  every  teacher  should  be  to  make  Oak  Hill, 
to  all  the  young  people  pursuing  their  studies  here,  a  foun- 


RULES,  MOTTOES  AND  COURSE  OF  STUDY  267 

tain  of  inspiration,  a  sanctuary  where  fellowship  with  the 
Redeemer  of  the  world  and  a  new  discovery  of  the  glory  of 
God  shall  be  among  the  blessings  bestowed. 

Book  Marks.  The  teachers  are  required  to  furnish  every 
new  pupil  one  complete  set  of  approved,  folded  marginal 
book  marks ;  one  for  each  text  book,  and  for  both  the  Sun- 
day school  and  Memory  lessons  in  the  Bible.  By  example 
and  precept,  they  are  expected  to  require  them  to  keep  them 
in  their  proper  places,  and  if  carelessly  lost,  to  replace  them 
with  new  ones  of  their  own  making.  Among  the  objects  to 
be  attained  by  the  enforcement  of  this  rule  are  the  habit  of 
carefulness  in  little  things,  to  save  the  books  from  other  in- 
jurious methods  of  marking  and  to  save  the  time  of  the 
teacher,  class  and  pupil. 

FIRE  PRECAUTIONS 

The  rooms  occupied  by  the  students  must  be  carefully 
inspected  by  the  matrons  or  their  special  monitors  every 
time  the  students  leave  them  for  the  school  or  chapel;  to 
see  that  the  buildings  have  not  been  endangered  by  any  acts 
of  carelessness  or  thoughtlessness. 

The  ladders  must  be  kept  where  they  may  be  easily  and 
quickly  obtained. 

On  the  first  Friday  of  each  term  the  students  shall  be 
organized  into  a  Fire  Department,  the  superintendent  serv- 
ing as  chief  and  the  matrons  and  teachers  as  his  special 
aids.  The  fire-fighters  shall  include  the  pumpers  and  a 
bucket  brigade;  the  life  and  property  savers  shall  include 
the  ladder  squad;  and  the  strenuous  work  of  all  shall  con- 
tinue until  the  building  or  the  last  possible  piece  of  proper- 
ty has  been  saved. 

The  fire  drills  shall  consist  of  quick  orderly  marches, 
at  an  unexpected  signal,  from  all  the  buildings  occupied,  and 
the  report  of  each  squad  for  duty  to  their  respective  fore- 
men. 

TO  PARENTS 

These  suggestions  to  parents  or  guardians  appear  on 
the  monthly  report  cards. 

This  report  is  sent  you  in  the  hope  it  will  give  you  that 
information  you  naturally  desire  to  receive  in  regard  to  the 
work  and  standing  of  the  pupils  you  have  sent  to  the  acad- 
emy. 


268  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

In  your  communications  to  your  children  encourage 
them  to  be  prompt  and  punctual  in  meeting  every  engage- 
ment, to  remember  the  Sabbath  day,  to  improve  their  spare 
moments  by  reading  the  Bible  or  some  good  book,  to  do  their 
best  during  the  hours  of  study  and  work  each  day,  and  to 
refrain  from  association  with  the  idle  or  worthless. 

(1)  SALUTE  TO  THE  FLAG 

(2)  We  give  our  heads  (3)  and  our  hearts  (4)  to  our 
Country.     (5)  One  country,  one  language  (6)  one  flag. 

1.  All  rise  and  extend  right  arm  toward  the  flag.  2  Touch  fore- 
head with  tips  of  the  fingers.  3.  Right  palm  over  the  heart.  4.  Both 
hands  extended  upward.  5.  Lean  forward,  hands  at  sides.  6.  With 
emphasis,  right  hand  pointing  to  the  flag.     Sing  America. 

"The  red  is  for  love  that  will  dare  and  do 
The  blue  is  the  sign  of  the  brave  and  true. 
The  white  with  all  evil  and  wrong  shall  cope, 
And  the  silver  stars  are  the  stars  of  hope." 

THE  STUDENTS  GOODBYE 

Good  bye,  Oak  Hill ;  good  bye ; 
We're  off  to  the  fields  and  the  open  sky ; 
But  we  shall  return  in  the  fall,  you  know, 
As  glad  to  return  as  we  are  now  to  go. 

Good  bye,  Oak  Hill ;  Good  bye. 

THE  COURSE  OF  STUDY 

The  following  is  the  course  of  study  pursued  at  the 
academy,  the  high  school  course  being  added  June  1,  1912. 

I.  PRIMARY  DEPARTMENT 

First  Grade:  First  Reader,  Reading  Chart,  Primer, 
Printing,  Numbers  and  Tables.  Books  of  Bible,  Memory 
Work. 

Second  Grade:  Second  Reader,  Doubs  Speller,  Printing, 
Writing,  Tables,  Primary  Arithmetic.  Also  the  Bible,  Short- 
er Catechism  and  Vocal  Music  in  this  and  the  subsequent 
grades. 

II.    INTERMEDIATE  DEPARTMENT 

Third  Grade:  Third  Reader,  Doubs  Speller,  (Smith's) 
Primary  Arithmetic,  Principles  of  Penmanship,  (Spencer 
or  Eaton),  Introductory  Language  Work,  Primary  Geogra- 
phy. 


RULES,  MOTTOES  AND  COURSE  OF  STUDY   269 

Fourth  Grade:  Fourth  Reader,  Doubs  Speller,  Pri- 
mary Arithmetic,  Writing,  (Thompson's)  Principles  of 
Drawing,  Primary  Geography,  (Krohn's)  First  Book  in 
Physiology. 

Leslie's  Music  Chart  and  Ideal  Class  Book ;  and  Thwing's 
Voice  Culture,  are  used  weekly  for  instruction  in  the  prin- 
ciples, and  general  drills  in  gesture,  note  reading  and  voice 
culture. 

III.  GRAMMAR  DEPARTMENT 

Fifth  Grade :  Fifth  Reader,  U.  S.  History,  Doubs  Speller, 
Primary  Arithmetic,  Reed  &  Kellogg's  Graded  Lessons  in 
English,  or  Burt's  Grammar,  Physiology,  Writing,  Nature 
Study  Chart. 

Sixth  Grade:  Fifth  Reader,  History  of  United  States 
or  Oklahoma,  Doubs  Speller,  (Smith's)  Practical  Arith- 
metic, Writing,  Geography,  Drawing,  Burt's  Grammar  or 
Reed  &  Kellogg's  Graded  Lessons  in  English,  Agriculture. 

Seventh  Grade:  The  Bible,  Literary  Readings,  Doubs 
Speller,  Arithmetic,  Grammar,  Agriculture,  Civics,  Writing, 
Geography  Completed. 

Eighth  Grade :  The  Bible  or  Literary  Readings,  Doubs 
Speller,  Grammar,  Composition,  (Carson's  Handbook), 
Arithmetic,  (Evans  &  Bunn's)  Civics,  Constitution  of  Okla- 
homa and  United  States,  Writing,  Bookkeeping  (Stephen- 
son's), Thompson's  Drawing  for  Rural  Schools. 

Wentworth's  Mental  Arithmetic  is  commended  for  use 
in  the  Sixth  to  Eighth  grades. 

Frequent  reviews  of  the  rules  and  definitions  are  es- 
sential to  the  attainment  of  a  thorough  knowledge  of  any 
textbook  and  the  most  rapid  advancement  in  it. 

Didactic  Electives:  Page's  Theory  and  Practice  in 
Teaching ;  Holbrook  on  the  Teacher's  Methods ;  Wickersham 
on  School  Government ;  Trumbull,  the  Teacher  Teaching ;  or 
similar  works. 

This  outline  of  grades  and  studies  is  intended  to  be  sug- 
gestive and  helpful  to  the  teachers  in  the  Academy  in  grad- 
ing and  promoting  the  pupils.  The  pupils  should  be  arrang- 
ed in  classes  according  to  their  several  abilities,  rather 
than  according  to  this  outline  in  an  arbitrary  manner,  in 
order  that  the  classes  at  the  time  of  recitation  may  be  as 
large  as  possible  rather  than  small.  Their  grade  is  ascer- 
tained by  the  majority  of  their  studies,  and  their  standing 
or  rank  by  their  percentage  in  each. 


270  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

This  course  has  been  arranged  in  harmony  with  the 
outline  course  prepared  in  1908  for  the  public  and  city 
schools  of  Oklahoma,  and  is  intended  to  prepare  pupils  for 
entering  the  high  school  course  consisting  of  the  Ninth  to 
Twelfth  grades,  or  a  normal  course  consisting  of  Didactics, 
Methods  in  Teaching  and  School  Government. 

A  suitable  certificate  is  issued  to  all  pupils  that  com- 
plete, in  a  creditable  manner,  all  the  studies  in  this  prepar- 
atory course  ending  with  the  Eighth  grade. 

The  industrial  work  and  training  required  of  all  the 
boarding  pupils  is  intended  to  include  a  practical  knowledge 
of  agriculture,  animal  husbandry,  apiculture,  poultry  rais- 
ing, carpentry,  cobbling,  concrete,  gardening,  domestic 
science,  sewing  and  laundry  work,  as  the  opportunity  is  af- 
forded and  the  pupils  discover  fitness  for  these  arts. 

IV.    HIGH  SCHOOL  DEPARTMENT 

Ninth  Grade:  Grammar,  Arithmetic,  Composition, 
Civics,  Elementary  Algebra,  Bookkeeping. 

Tenth  Grade:  Algebra,  Hill's  Etymology,  Physical 
Geography,  General  History,  Rhetoric. 

Eleventh  Grade:  Algebra,  Rhetoric,  Ancient  History, 
American  Literature  (Abernathy),  Composition,  Botany, 
Plane  Geometry. 

Twelfth  Grade:  Solid  Geometry,  (Hessler  &  Smith's) 
Chemistry,  Newcomber's  English  Literature,  Political 
Economy. 

Electives:  Astronomy,  Geology,  Zoology,  Trigonom- 
etry; Surveying,  Stenography,  Typewriting,  Telegraphy. 

In  January  1908,  when  P.  K.  Faison,  first  superintend- 
ent of  the  public  schools  of  McCurtain  county,  made  his 
first  visit  to  Oak  Hill,  he  stated  that  Wheelock  and  Oak  Hill 
Academies  were  the  only  graded  schools  in  McCurtain 
county  at  that  time. 

TEACHING  IN  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

As  a  help  to  young  Sunday  school  teachers  in  the  prep- 
aration of  the  lesson  and  its  management  before  the  class 
Miss  Saxe's  method  of  five  points  of  analysis  and  five  points 
of  application  are  given. 


RULES,  MOTTOES  AND  COURSE  OF  STUDY   271 

ANALYSIS 

1.  What  is  the  principal  subject? 

2.  What  the  leading  lessons  ? 

3.  Which  the  best  verse  ? 

4.  Who  are  the  principal  persons  ? 

5.  What  teaching  about  Christ? 

APPLICATION 

1.  What  example  to  follow? 

2.  What  to  avoid? 

3.  What  duty  to  perform? 

4.  What  promise  to  proclaim? 

5.  What  prayer  to  echo? 


XXXII 

SAVINGS  AND  INVESTMENTS 

"Gather  up  the  Fragments  that  nothing  be  lost." — Jesus. 
SAVINGS  OR  WAGES 
*T  is  a  matter  of  great  importance  to  every 
one  to  learn  early  in  life  the  difference  be- 
tween monthly  or  yearly  savings  and  wages ; 
and  also  the  difference  between  personal  ex- 
penses and  profitable  investments. 
When  a  boy  works  on  the  railroad  and  has  to  supply  all 
his  daily  wants,  he  knows  what  his  wages  are  and  answers 
the  question  quickly,  stating  what  he  receives  by  the  day 
when  he  makes  a  full  day's  work.  But  when  he  is  asked, 
"What  are  your  monthly  savings  ?"  he  is  bothered  and  frank- 
ly confesses  he  cannot  tell.  Before  the  end  of  the  second 
month  the  wages  of  his  first  month  have  slowly  passed 
through  his  hands  for  personal  expenses  and  little  or  noth- 
ing has  been  saved  for  profitable  investment. 

When  a  boy  works  for  a  farmer,  who  receives  him  into 
his  home,  providing  for  him  a  furnished  room,  fuel,  light, 
boarding  and  washing,  he  does  not  seem  to  receive  more 
than  half  what  the  other  boy  receives  who  works  for  the 
railroad.  When  he  is  asked  the  same  question,  "What  are 
your  monthly  wages  and  what  your  monthly  savings?"  he 
makes  reply  by  stating  the  balance  in  the  farmer's  hand  as 
his  savings,  and  that  is  correct ;  but  he  cannot  tell  what  his 
wages  are,  by  way  of  comparison  with  the  other  boy.    The 

(272) 


SAVINGS  AND  INVESTMENTS  273 

first  boy  at  the  end  of  the  month  has  received  wages  the 
other  boy  his  savings,  save  for  his  clothing.  The  latter  at 
the  end  of  the  year  has  ordinarily  saved  more  than  the 
former,  though  all  the  time  he  may  have  imagined  he  was 
not  receiving  sufficient  wages,  merely  because  the  monthly 
allowance  of  the  farmer  is  commonly  called  "wages,"  instead 
of  by  the  right  name,  "monthly  savings." 

That  which  the  farmer  does  for  his  boy,  in  providing 
him  a  home  and  helping  him  to  save  his  earnings,  this 
Industrial  Academy  is  now  doing  for  every  boy,  that  is 
received  into  the  membership  of  the  Oak  Hill  Family  and 
makes  his  home  there  during  the  summer  season. 

At  the  Academy  he  not  only  finds  steady  employment, 
but  is  removed  from  the  places  that  call  for  worse  than  use- 
less daily  expenditures;  and  the  monthly  allowance,  made 
by  the  Superintendent,  represents  not  his  wages  but  his 
monthly  savings,  in  the  deposit  bank  of  the  institution. 

When  a  parent  or  boy  makes  the  discovery,  that  the 
boys  who  remain  at  the  Academy  during  the  summer  months 
have  more  funds  to  their  credit  in  the  Bank  of  the  institu- 
tion in  the  fall  of  the  year,  than  many  of  those  who  receive 
a  higher  daily  wage  elsewhere,  and  that  they  also  make  the 
most  rapid  progress  in  their  studies,  they  begin  to  see  the 
difference  between  working  for  savings  and  working  for 
wages;  and  how  much  better  off  is  the  boy,  who  takes  the 
training  and  grows  up  under  the  stimulating  and  elevating 
influence  of  a  good  educational  institution. 

INVESTMENTS 

A  personal  expense  is  an  expenditure  of  money  for  some 

article  that  may  indeed  be  necessary,  as  a  pair  of  shoes,  but 

it  begins  to  depreciate  in  value  as  soon  as  the  expenditure 

has  been  made.    A  profitable  investment  is  an  expenditure 


274  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

of  money,  time  or  talents,  that  is  expected  to  increase  in 
value  or  yield  an  income.  If  a  lamb  is  purchased  it  will  grow 
into  a  sheep  and  its  value  is  doubled.  If  an  acre  of  good  land 
is  purchased  it  is  sure  to  increase  in  value  according  to  its 
quality  and  location. 

The  ability  to  avoid  personal  expenses  and  to  make 
profitable  investments  is  one  of  the  things  that  determines 
our  good  or  ill  success  in  life.  The  education  of  a  thought- 
ful, earnest  boy  or  girl  is  ordinarily  a  good  and  profitable  in- 
vestment, for  their  value  or  usefulness  may  be  increased 
many  times  more  than  that  of  the  lamb  or  the  acre  of  land. 
If  they  are  gratefully  responsive  to  their  training  no  better 
investment  can  be  made,  than  that  which  has  for  its  object 
the  intellectual,  moral  and  religious  training  of  our  boys 
and  girls. 

A  christian  educational  institution  is  an  investment 
for  producing  manhood  and  character,  things  that  money 
will  not  buy.  One  may  invest  in  bonds  or  stocks,  and  make 
or  lose  money ;  but  he  who  aids  in  the  production  of  christian 
men  and  women,  trained  for  service,  increases  their  useful- 
ness and  continues  to  live  through  their  consecrated  lives 
and  achievements. 

This  institution  makes  its  appeal  to  the  friends  who 
have  money  and  who  would  make  a  profitable  investment; 
and  also  to  the  thoughtful  boys  and  girls,  who  would  greatly 
increase  their  value  to  society,  the  church  and  the  world,  by 
obtaining  a  good  education  in  their  youth. 


GOING  TO  SCHOOL 


THE  ORCHESTRA— 1912 
[274] 


YOUTHFUL  SWEEPERS 
Holding  and  using  the  broom  aright 


I  %&iJ>.i 


&0'wit3tg  H&^i 


C*  Lcs frinc .  C§nlrhicu  t&TtiC,  1& ere lia. 


OAK  HILL— Weimer  Photos 


XXXIII 

SUMMER  NORMALS  AND  CHAUTAU- 
QUA 

"Apt  to  teach,  patient." — Paul 

>HE  summer  normals  were  established  at  the 
academy  in  October,  1905,  and  were  con- 
tinued during  the  next  two  years.  Their 
object  was  to  prepare  candidates  for  the 
ministry,  under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery, 
to  serve  also  at  that  time  as  teachers  in  the  mission,  and 
later  in  the  public  schools;  and  to  afford  ambitious  young 
people  the  opportunity  to  prepare  for  the  same  work.  They 
were  conducted  by  the  superintendent  and  Bertha  L. 
Ahrens,  the  latter  serving  as  instructor  in  the  class  room. 

At  the  time  they  were  held,  they  afforded  the  only  op- 
portunity in  the  south  part  of  the  Choctaw  Nation,  for  the 
Freedmen  to  receive  this  training.  When  the  McCurtain 
county  normal  was  established  at  Idabel  in  1908,  they  were 
no  longer  needed  and  were  discontinued. 

Those  that  attended  the  normals  were  as  follows: 
In  1905,  Mary  A.  Donaldson  of  Paris,  Texas. 
In  1906,  Mary  A.  Donaldson  and  Lilly  B.  Simms,  Paris, 
Texas;  Mrs.  W.  H.  Carroll  and  Fidelia  Murchison,  Garvin, 
Mary  E.  Shoals,  Grant,  and  James  G.  Shoals,  Valliant. 

In  1907,  Zolo  O.  Lawson,  Shawneetown,  Mary  E.  Shoals, 
Grant ;  Delia  Clark,  Lehigh ;  Virginia  Woff ord  and  Solomon 
H.  Buchanan,  Valliant. 

(275) 


276  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

When  the  first  summer  normal  was  held  at  the  academy 
in  1905,  a  request  for  some  lectures  or  an  instructor  a  part 
of  the  time  addressed  to  Hon.  J.  Blair  Shoenfelt,  Indian 
agent,  Muskogee,  brought  the  following  response  from  John 
D.  Benedict,  superintendent  of  schools. 

"The  colored  citizens  of  the  Choctaw  Nation  have  not 
been  allowed  to  participate  in  the  benefit  of  the  school  fund 
of  that  Nation ;  hence  we  have  not  been  able  to  establish  any 
schools  for  colored  children  in  the  Choctaw  and  Chickasaw 
Nations,  until  this  year.  We  have  now  a  few  colored  schools 
in  both  of  these  Nations.  There  has  never  been  any  de- 
mand for  normals  or  summer  institutes  for  colored  teachers 
in  these  two  Nations.  They  will  enjoy  an  appropriation  of 
$100,000  for  the  ensuing  year,  but  there  are  no  funds 
available  for  normal  schools  among  them  this  year."  John 
D.  Benedict,  Superintendent. 

This  letter  indicates  the  lapse  of  provision  for  the  gen- 
eral education  of  the  Choctaw  Freedmen  and  its  renewal 
during  the  last  years  of  the  Territorial  government. 

LICENTIATES 

Those  that  pursued  the  course  of  study,  provided  dur- 
ing these  years,  for  those  that  were  preparing  specially  for 
the  ministry,  were  Noah  Alverson,  Griffin,  and  John  Rich- 
ards, Lukfata.  Mr.  Richards  died  at  28  in  1908  and  Mr. 
Alverson  was  ordained  in  1910. 

CANDIDATES  FOR  THE  MINISTRY 

In  April  1911,  Riley  Flournoy,  Sylvester  S.  Bibbs,  Fred 
McFarland  and  Clarence  Peete  expressed  the  desire  to  be- 
come ministers  of  the  gospel  and  were  received  under  the 
care  of  the  Presbytery  at  Eagletown,  as  candidates.  All 
were  members  of  the  Oak  Hill  church  and  school. 


SUMMER  NORMALS  AND  CHAUTAUQUA   277 

THE  FIRST  CHAUTAUQUA 

In  1907,  the  last  year  under  territorial  government,  ar- 
rangements were  made  for  a  patriotic  celebration,  in  the 
form  of  a  chautauqua  at  the  Academy.  The  following  ac- 
count of  it  is  from  the  columns  of  the  Garvin  Graphic: 

The  Fourth  of  July  meeting  bv  the  Freedmen  at  Oak 
ilill  AcadCi  ly,  near  Vallisnt,  was  a  real  patriotic  chautauqua, 
the  first  meeting  of  the  kind  ever  held  in  this  part  of  the 
Territory,  and  well  worthy  of  more  than  a  mere  passing 
note.  The  preparations  for  the  occasion,  which  included  a 
comfortable  seat  for  everyone,  were  fully  completed  before 
hand.  The  speakers'  stand  and  the  Academy  buildings  were 
tastefully  decorated  with  our  beautiful  national  colors,  one 
large  flag  suspended  between  two  of  them,  being  twelve  feet 
long. 

"The  exercises  included  three  series  of  addresses,  inter- 
spersed with  soul-stirring  patriotic  music  by  the  Oak  Hill 
Glee  Club,  and  the  speakers  included  several  of  the  most 
eloquent  orators  in  the  south  part  of  the  territory.  The  oc- 
casion afforded  ample  opportunity  for  the  free  and  full  dis- 
cussion of  those  questions,  relating  to  the  administration 
of  our  public  affairs,  that  are  now  engaging  the  attention  of 
the  people;  and  this  fact  was  greatly  appreciated  both  by 
the  speakers  and  the  people. 

"At  the  forenoon  session  James  R.  Crabtree  presided 
with  commendable  grace  and  dignity.  The  Declaration  of 
Independence  was  read  in  a  very  entertaining  and  impres- 
sive manner  by  Miss  Malinda  Hall,  who  has  been  an  efficient 
helper  in  the  work  of  the  Academy,  since  its  re-opening  two 
years  ago.  The  principal  address  at  this  session  was  deliv- 
ered by  Rev.  Wiley  Homer,  of  Grant,  a  large,  well  built  man 
with  a  strong  voice,  who  for  many  years  has  been  a  capable 
and  trusted  leader  among  the  Freedmen  of  this  section. 
Others  that  participated  were  Johnson  Shoals,  of  Valliant, 
who  has  been  pursuing  a  course  of  study  at  the  Iowa  State 
Agricultural  college,  Ames,  Iowa,  and  W.  J.  Wehunt,  one  of 
the  prominent  business  men  of  Valliant. 

"At  the  afternoon  session  Isaac  Johnson,  a  natural  born 
orator,  presided  and,  both  in  his  address  and  happy  manner 
of  introducing  the  speakers,  enlivened  the  occasion  with 
unexpected  sallies  of  natural  mother  wit  and  eloquence.  Rev. 


278  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

W.  H.  Carroll,  of  Garvin,  one  of  the  instructors  of  the  Acad- 
emy, discussed  in  an  able  manner  a  number  of  questions  re- 
lating to  the  educational  and  church  work  among  the  ne- 
groes ;  and  he  was  followed  by  Prof.  P.  A.  Parish,  of  Idabel, 
the  well-known  "Kansas  negro,"  but  of  full-blood  African 
descent,  who  seemed  at  his  best  in  the  discussion  of  current 
and  local  public  questions. 

"Rev.  Wiley  Homer  presided  at  the  evening  session  and 
the  address  was  delivered  by  Rev.  Chas.  C.  Weith,  of  Ard- 
more.  This  address,  delivered  in  the  cool  of  the  evening, 
marked  the  climax  of  interest.  In  an  eloquent  and  forceful 
manner  he  recalled  the  events  that  led  to  the  first  declara- 
tion of  independence,  which  was  for  the  freedom  of  the  soul 
by  Luther  in  Germany  in  1517;  traced  the  growth  of  this 
sentiment  in  other  countries  until  it  found  its  expression 
in  the  Declaration  of  Independence  for  the  citizen,  by  our 
forefathers  in  1776;  and  pressed  the  urgent  need  of  Godli- 
ness on  the  part  of  every  American  citizen,  in  order  to  have 
the  highest  type  of  patriot  and  to  insure  the  permanency 
of  our  civil  and  religious  liberty.  This  address  was  a  rare 
treat  for  the  people  of  this  section. 

"Patriotic  solos  were  rendered  by  Miss  Bertha  L. 
Ahrens,  organist,  Rev.  W.  H.  Carroll,  S.  H.  Buchanan,  Mrs. 
J.  A.  Thomas  and  Miss  Hall. 

"The  barbecue  was  prepared  during  the  night  previous 
by  Charles  Bibbs. 

"Rev.  R.  E.  Flickinger,  the  superintendent  of  the  Acad- 
emy, at  the  close  of  the  day's  sessions,  received  hearty  con- 
gratulations for  the  excellent  character  of  the  arrange- 
ments for  the  day  and  was  encouraged  to  provide  for  sim- 
ilar patriotic  celebrations  in  the  future." 


XXXIV 

GRACES  AND  PRAYERS 

"In  all  things,  give  thanks,  pray  without  ceasing." — 
Paul. 

JHE  following  forms  of  grace  and  prayer  are 
intended  to  be  suggestive  helps  to  young 
people,  who  have  the  desire  to  be  ready  al- 
ways to  lead  in  prayer  and  conduct  family 
worship,  with  interest  and  profit  to  others. 
Bible  reading  and  private  prayer  prepare  for  public  prayer; 
but  the  latter  is  rendered  much  easier,  when  it  is  remem- 
bered, that  it  should  consist  of  expressions  of  thanksgiving, 
confession,  petition  and  intercession.  Those  that  lead  should 
speak  loud  enough  to  be  easily  heard  by  everyone,  and  with 
an  earnestness,  that  suggests  sincerity. 

GRACE  AT  MEALS 

BREAKFAST.  We  thank  Thee,  our  Father,  for  sweet 
rest  and  refreshment  in  sleep,  thy  bountiful  supply  of  our 
wants  and  the  right  use  of  our  faculties.  Give  us  wisdom 
this  day  in  the  discharge  of  duty  and  in  the  employment  of 
our  time  and  talents  for  Jesus'  sake.  Amen. 

DINNER.  We  thank  thee,  oiir  Father,  that  thou  dost 
give  to  us  health  and  strength  to  perform  our  labors  and 
hast  surrounded  us  with  the  blessings  and  comforts  of  life. 
Feed  our  souls  with  the  bread  of  life  and  enable  us  to  serve 
thee  acceptably  for  Jesus'  sake.  Amen. 

SUPPER.  We  thank  thee,  our  Father,  that  thou  hast 
enabled  us  to  perform  the  labors  of  the  day  and  graciously 
supplied  our  wants.  Establish  the  work  of  our  hands  and 
forgive  our  sins  for  Jesus'  sake.  Amen. 

(279) 


280         CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

HELPFUL  FORMS  OF  PRAYER 

"Now  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep, 
I  pray  thee,  Lord,  my  soul  to  keep ; 
If  I  should  die  before  I  wake, 
I  pray  thee,  Lord,  my  soul  to  take ; 
And  this  I  ask  for  Jesus'  sake." 

We  thank  thee,  0  Lord,  for  strength  of  arm  to  win 
our  daily  bread;  for  enough  on  which  to  live  and  some  to 
give  to  those  that  are  unfed.  We  thank  thee  for  shelter 
from  the  cold  and  storm,  a  place  that  may  be  shared  with  a 
friend  forlorn.  We  thank  thee  for  thy  wonderful  love  on  us 
bestowed,  that  we  should  now  be  called  the  children  of  God. 

May  thy  gracious  presence  go  with  us  this  day.  Put 
good  thoughts  into  our  minds  and  good  words  into  our 
mouths.  Make  us  strong  to  do  that  which  is  pleasing  in  thy 
sight,  by  making  thy  word  the  guide  of  our  lives.  Bless  our 
friends  that  are  near  and  dear  unto  us.  May  their  lives  be 
found  precious  in  thy  sight.  Command  thy  blessing  to  rest 
upon  our  neighbors  and  all  with  whom  we  associate. 

May  thy  richest  spiritual  blessing  rest  upon  thy  ser- 
vant, our  pastor,  and  all  the  people  to  whom  be  ministers; 
so  that  the  work  of  the  Lord  may  prosper  in  our  hands.  Blesa 
our  children  and  youth  by  writing  their  names  in  the  Book 
of  life  and  inclining  them  to  walk  in  thy  commands. 

Forgive  our  sins,  comfort  our  hearts,  strengthen  our 
faith  and  enable  us  to  serve  Thee  acceptably;  we  ask  it  for 
Jesus'  sake.    Amen. 

ANOTHER  ONE 

We  thank  thee  our  Father,  for  the  Bible,  thine  own 
blessed  word,  that  teaches  us,  what  we  are  to  believe  con- 
cerning Thee,  and  what  duties  Thou  requirest  of  us.  Help 
us  to  read  it  with  the  understanding  heart,  that  it  may 
prove  a  lamp  to  our  feet  and  a  light  to  our  path. 

We  thank  Thee  for  the  voice  of  conscience,  prompting 
us  to  do  right.  Enable  us  by  Thy  grace  to  do  promptly,  that 
which  we  know  to  be  right.  Help  us  to  remember  the  Sab- 
bath, to  keep  it  holy  unto  the  Lord.  Help  us  to  set  our  affec- 
tion on  the  "house  of  the  Lord ;"  and  when  we  worship  Thee, 
may  the  beauty  of  the  Lord  our  God  be  upon  us.  Bless 
our  friends  and  neighbors;  all  who  seek  an  interest  in  our 
prayers.  Forgive  our  sins  and  enable  us  to  serve  thee  ac- 
ceptably, for  Jesus'  sake.    Amen. 


GRACES  AND  PRAYERS  281 

A  PRAYER  FOR  THE  AGED 

Ever  blessed  and  gracious  God,  our  Father,  I  humbly 
pray  that  thou  wilt  not  cast  me  off  in  the  time  of  old  age, 
when  my  strength  faileth.  Preserve  unto  me  the  right  use 
of  my  faculties  for  my  soul  trusteth  in  Thee.  Comfort  and 
strengthen  my  soul  in  the  day  of  weakness  that  I  may  attest 
thy  faithfulness  in  fulfilling  all  thy  gracious  promises. 

Thou  hast  taught  me  to  know  mine  end  and  the  meas- 
ure of  my  days,  that  I  might  apply  my  heart  unto  wisdom; 
and  desire  to  dwell  in  Thy  presence,  where  there  is  fulness 
of  joy;  and  at  thy  right  hand,  where  there  are  pleasures  for 
evermore. 

When  the  time  comes  for  my  inexperienced  soul  to 
leave  its  earthly  temple,  send  the  blessed  angels  to  carry  it 
to  the  mansions,  thou  hast  prepared  for  the  redeemed,  who 
put  their  trust  in  Thee;  and  accord  unto  me  an  abundant 
entrance  into  the  Kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Savior,  Jesus 
Christ.  To  whom  be  praise,  dominion  and  glory,  now  and 
forever.    Amen. 

"How  beautiful  to  be  with  God ! 
To  lay  aside  this  toil-worn  dress, 
To  wear  a  crown  of  righteousness, 
And  robes  of  purest  white  possess ; 
And  sing  the  sweet  redemption  song." 

— Frances  Willard. 


XXXV 

PRESBYTERIAL  MEETINGS  AND 
PICNICS 

OAK  HILL  IN  1905.— NOT  A  BUCKET.— GOING  TO  PRESBYTERY. 
ENTERTAINMENT  FOR  EVERYBODY. 

»N  August  31,  1905,  the  Presbytery  of  Ki- 
amichi  met  at  Oak  Hill,  at  a  time  when  an 
attack  of  malaria  at  his  summer  home  at 
Fonda,  Iowa,  prevented  the  return  of  the 
superintendent.  The  attendance  of  visitors 
was  unusually  large.  It  fell  to  the  lot  of  Miss  Eaton,  matron, 
and  Miss  Ahrens  to  provide  for  their  entertainment.  They 
were  ably  assisted  by  Miss  M.  A.  Hall  and  Mitchell  S.  Stew- 
art. They  had  sixty  for  dinner  on  Friday  and  Saturday  and 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  on  Sabbath. 

On  this  occasion  three  new  members  were  added  to  the 
roll,  Jack  A.  Thomas  was  elected  and  ordained  an  elder,  and 
Samuel  Harris,  a  deacon. 

The  meetings  of  the  Presbytery,  which  are  always  evan- 
gelistic, have  now  come  to  be  the  most  attractive,  interesting 
and  profitable  meetings  held  in  their  respective  commun- 
ities. As  the  available  churches  are  few  in  number,  the 
meetings  are  held  in  each  every  two  or  three  years.  The 
coming  of  the  Presbytery  is  anticipated  with  a  great  deal  of 
interest,  and  a  "big  crowd"  is  the  delight  of  the  congrega- 
tion, receiving  and  entertaining  it.  This  is  a  fact  worthy 
of  special  note. 

(282) 


PRESBYTERIAL  MEETINGS  AND  PICNICS     283 

NOT  AN  OAK  HILL  BUCKET 
In  the  Territorial  days,  or,  rather  previous  to  the  allot- 
ment of  lands  to  them  individually  in  1905,  the  most  at- 
tractive meeting,  in  their  various  neighborhoods,  was  the 
annual  old-time  picnic,  made  interesting  by  the  presence  of  a 
"merry  go  round"  that  relieved  them  of  their  nickels,  and 
a  platform,  where  promiscuous  dancing  was  sure  to  be  con- 
tinued through  most  of  the  night,  and  be  accompanied  with 
considerable  dissipation  and  immorality. 

When  the  superintendent  discovered  the  nature  of  these 
gatherings,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  declare  their  dissipating 
and  demoralizing  tendency.  He  also  stated  the  attitude  of 
the  institution  in  regard  to  them  by  giving  utterance  to  the 
following  sentiment:  "Whilst  everything  at  the  academy  is 
available  for  the  betterment  of  the  colored  people,  there  is 
not  an  Oak  Hill  bucket  available  for  use,  at  a  dissipating 
and  demoralizing  dance  in  the  timber."  This  sentiment 
sounded  a  little  harsh  and  cruel  at  first,  but  it  now  com- 
mands the  approval  of  all  the  good  students  and  of  those, 
who  are  doing  most  to  promote  the  happiness  and  welfare  of 
the  young  and  rising  generation.  Since  the  young  people 
have  come  to  participate,  to  a  greater  extent,  in  the  frequent 
meetings  of  the  Presbytery  and  in  an  annual  Sunday  school 
convention,  the  old  time  "dance  in  the  timber",  has  become  a 
"thing  of  the  past." 

EVERYBODY  GOES  TO  PRESBYTERY 
The  meetings  of  the  Presbytery  are  sure  to  be  attended 
by  everyone,  living  in  the  vicinity  of  the  meeting,  and  by  as 
many  others  as  can  manage  to  "get  there."  It  is  unusual 
for  any  colored  minister  and  his  elder  to  be  absent  from  any 
meeting,  no  matter  how  great  may  be  the  difficulties,  that 
have  to  be  overcome  in  getting  there.    If  the  place  of  meet- 


284  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

ing  can  be  easily  reached,  additional  delegates  are  chosen  to 
represent  the  Sunday  school,  the  aid,  Endeavor  and  Wo- 
men's Missionary  societies. 

If  these  additional  delegates  get  to  the  meeting,  they 
are  duly  enrolled  and  later  are  accorded  all  the  time  they 
wish  in  making  their  oral  reports  of  the  work  they  repre- 
sent. All  seem  to  enjoy  making  reports  and  addresses  at 
Presbytery.  Many  are  animated  with  the  earnest  desire  to 
aid  in  giving  their  race  an  uplift,  and  the  address  in  Pres- 
bytery seems  to  be  one  of  the  nicest  opportunities  to  do  this. 
This  is  especially  true  of  some  of  those  among  the  older  peo- 
ple who  cannot  read,  survivors  of  the  slavery  period  who  in- 
herited good  memories  and  good  voices.  Several  of  the  most 
eloquent  and  deeply  impressive  appeals,  it  was  the  privilege 
of  the  author  to  hear  at  the  academy  or  Presbytery,  were 
delivered  by  those,  whose  condition  of  slavery  in  youth  and 
isolated  location  afterward  prevented  attendance  at  school. 
By  frequent  participation  in  religious  meetings,  where  they 
endeavored  to  repeat  and  enforce  Bible  truths,  to  which  they 
had  given  an  attentive  ear,  caused  them,  like  some  of  the 
famous  philosophers  in  the  days  of  Socrates  and  Aristotle, 
to  be  held  in  high  esteem  as  persons  of  intelligence  and  in- 
fluence in  their  respective  communities.  Henry  Crittenden, 
Elijah  Butler,  Mrs.  Charles  Bashears,  and  Simon  Folsom 
were  all  good  examples  of  unlettered,  but  natural  orators, 
who  found  their  widest  sphere  of  usefulness  in  the  activities 
of  the  church. 

GOING  TO  PRESBYTERY 

Those,  attending  the  meetings  of  the  Presbytery, 
often  experienced  serious  disappointments  on  the  way  and 
some  little  inconveniences,  when  they  got  there.  Previous 
to  the  organization  of  the  church  at  Garvin  in  1905,  there 


PRESBYTERIAL  MEETINGS  AND  PICNICS     285 

were  only  two  churches,  Oak  Hill  and  Beaver  Dam  at  Grant, 
that  were  located  near  the  railroad.  All  the  other  churches 
were  located  in  rural  neighborhoods,  8  to  20  miles  distant 
from  the  nearest  station.  The  roads  to  them  were  merely- 
winding  trails  through  the  timber,  that  crossed  the  streams 
where  it  was  possible  to  ford  them,  without  any  grading  of 
the  banks. 

That  which  we  witnessed  and  partially  experienced,  in 
making  our  first  trip  through  the  timber  to  a  meeting  of  the 
Presbytery  at  Frogville,  about  fifteen  miles  from  the  sta- 
tion, was  characteristic  of  three  other  meetings  we  attend- 
ed, at  a  distance  from  the  railroad. 

The  delegation,  that  arrived  at  the  station,  consisted  of 
nearly  two  dozen  and  about  half  of  them  were  women.  We 
arrived  at  the  place  the  wagons  were  to  meet  us,  after  walk- 
ing across  the  railroad  bridge  over  the  Kiamichi  river,  a 
short  distance  west  of  the  station.  When  we  arrived  there, 
we  found  only  one  v/agon  of  the  three,  that  were  expected. 
That  was  a  serious  but  not  a  stunning  disappointment.  The 
luggage  was  crowded  into  the  bed  of  that  wagon  and  it 
carried  also  a  few  of  the  older  women.  The  rest  of  us  set 
out  on  a  good  long  walk,  indulging  the  hope  other  teams 
would  surely  meet  and  relieve  us  somewhere  on  the  road. 
As  the  hour  of  noon  was  approaching,  we  anticipated  our 
needs  on  the  way,  by  having  a  box  of  crackers  and  a  slice  of 
cheese  put  on  the  wagon.  When  we  reached  a  half  way 
place,  where  there  was  also  a  spring  of  good  water,  this 
lunch  was  greatly  enjoyed.  We  managed  to  ride  the  re- 
mainder of  the  distance,  and  at  the  end  of  the  journey  we 
heard  no  one  complain  the  "road  am  hard  to  travel." 


286         CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

ENTERTAINMENT  FOR  EVERYBODY 

The  problem  of  entertainment,  always  seemed  before- 
hand a  rather  serious  one  for  the  few  families,  living  near 
the  church  in  a  rural  neighborhood.  Their  generous  hos- 
pitality, however,  never  seemed  to  be  over  taxed,  but  to 
have  an  elasticity,  that  included  a  cordial  welcome  to  every 
one,  and  as  much  of  comfort  during  the  night  as  it  was 
possible  to  extend.  Many  of  the  younger  people  on  Saturday 
and  Sabbath  evenings,  when  their  number  would  be  greatest, 
would  be  grateful  when  they  were  accorded  a  pillow  and 
blanket  for  a  bed  on  the  floor,  or  a  bench. 

The  happy,  hopeful  spirit,  manifested  by  both  hosts 
and  guests,  in  meeting  the  responsibilities  and  unexpected 
disappointments,  that  are  sometimes  experienced  while  at- 
tending meetings  of  the  Presbytery  in  the  rural  neighbor- 
hoods, reminds  one  of  the  happy  remark  of  a  little  six  year 
old  boy,  in  regard  to  a  sunny  visitor,  whom  he  knew  had  ex- 
perienced many  trials  and  had  just  left  their  home:  "Yes, 
I  like  her ;  she  goes  over  the  bumps  as  though  her  heart  had 
rubber  tires." 


XXXVI 

FARMERS  INSTITUTES 

1905-1912 

FOREST    CHURCH.— OAK    HILL.— SHORT    COURSE    IN    1912.— 
ISAAC   JOHNSON.— EMANCIPATION   DAY. 

"Agriculture  is  the  most  healthful,  most  useful  and 
most  noble  employment  of  man." — George  Washington. 

^^5>(^^/f5HE  first  meeting,  conducted  by  the  Choctaw 
f  W  Freedmen,  it  was  the  privilege  of  the  author 

Oil  to  attend  was  their  annual  Farmers  Insti- 
tute, held  in  Forest  Presbyterian  church 
on  Monday,  Jan.  1,  1905.  Others  had  been 
held  in  other  places  during  previous  years  but  this  was  the 
second  annual  meeting  in  the  Forest  church,  and  'it  was 
called  the  county  institute  of  Fort  Towson  county.  It  was 
their  own  original  method  of  endeavoring  to  make  a  pleas- 
ant and  profitable  observance  of  Emancipation  Day. 

On  this  the  first  historic  occasion  the  meeting  was  con- 
ducted by  Johnson  W.  Shoals,  president,  in  a  very  dignified 
manner.  An  interesting  annual  report  was  read  by  the  sec- 
retary, James  G.  Shoals,  Fidelia  Murchison  read  an  essay 
on  gardening  and  Elsie  Shoals-Arnold,  one  on  making  and 
marketing  butter.  The  author  indulged  in  a  short  address 
and  other  addresses  were  delivered  by  Simon  Folsom,  X^ee 
V.  Bibbs,  Charles  Bashears  and  Mitchell  Stewart.  The 
principal  address  however,  was  by  Isaac  Johnson,  one  of 
their  number  living  along  the  north  bank  of  Red  river, 
who  had  learned  the  teacher's  and  speaker's  art  in  Texas. 

(287) 


288  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

He  seemed  to  be  at  his  best  and  discussed  good  morals,  agri- 
culture and  the  destiny  of  the  Choctaw' Freedmen,  with  so 
much  native  wit  and  humor,  we  felt  well  repaid  for  the  long, 
wearisome  journey  to  the  place  of  meeting. 

The  meeting  consisted  of  one  long  session,  called  a 
forenoon  meeting,  and  at  its  close,  it  fell  to  our  lot  to  ac- 
cept an  unexpected  invitation  to  enjoy  an  old-time  picnic 
dinner,  which  was  soon  spread  on  the  backless  benches  in 
the  church.  Isaac  Johnson  was  chosen  as  the  new  president 
and  he  has  continued  to  serve  in  that  capacity. 

The  meeting  the  next  year  was  held  in  this  same  place 
and  commencing  Jan.  1,  1907,  they  began  to  he  held  at  Oak 
Hill  Academy. 

The  meeting  held  at  Oak  Hill  on  Jan.  1,  1907,  had  some 
features  worthy  of  special  mention.  It  was  the  first  oc- 
casion, when  the  meeting  included  the  sessions  of  two  days, 
or  any  effort  was  made  to  have  an  exhibit  of  the  products 
of  the  garden  and  field.  McCurtain  county,  though  not  yet 
organized  had  been  established,  and  the  officers  took  more 
pains  than  usual,  to  invite  the  farmers  in  all  parts  of  the 
new  county  to  participate  in  its  discussions.  It  was  the  first 
time,  that  an  effort  was  made  to  have  a  special  lecturer 
from  the  Agricultural  college  and  the  young  people  at  Oak 
Hill,  trained  to  supply  the  needs  of  the  occasion  with  vocal 
and  instrumental  music.  It  was  very  gratifying  to  note  the 
increased  attendance  and  interest. 

For  this  occasion,  Miss  Eaton  prepared  an  artistic  de- 
sign, with  grains  of  corn  of  different  colors,  for  the  center 
of  the  decoration  over  the  speaker's  stand,  that  attracted 
the  attention  and  called  forth  the  admiration  of  all.  It  con- 
sisted of  a  large  tablet  having  a  representation  of  a  large 
broadly  branching  oak  tree  on  the  summit  of  a  little  hill,  hav- 


FARMERS  INSTITUTES  289 

ing  a  canopy  of  bright  stars  over  it  and  the  words  "Oak  Hill" 
in  the  form  of  an  arch  near  its  lower  branches.  Over  the 
tablet  was  the  word  "Welcome"  and  over  the  ends  of  it 
"Happy  New  Year." 

The  entire  program  had  been  previously  arranged,  so 
that  all  the  addresses  and  discussions  might  form  a  part  of 
the  course  of  instruction,  in  agriculture  and  animal  hus- 
bandry to  the  students.  All  the  proceedings  proved  inter- 
esting and  instructive  to  them.  In  furnishing  the  vocal  and 
instrumental  music,  which  formed  a  very  pleasing  feature 
of  each  session,  they  were  enabled  to  participate  in  a  way 
that  was  very  profitable  to  them,  and  entertaining  to  others. 

Among  those  who  participated  by  addresses,  on  topics 
previously  assigned,  were  Isaac  Johnson,  James  G.  Shoals, 
Rev.  W.  H.  Carroll  of  Garvin,  Rev.  R.  E.  Flickinger,  Adelia 
Eaton,  Malinda  A.  Hall,  Bertha  L.  Ahrens,  who  also  served 
as  organist,  Solomon  Buchanan,  who  also  served  as  pianist, 
John  Richards  of  Lukfata,  Noah  Alverson  of  Lehigh,  whose 
ectures  on  raising  corn  and  cotton  were  worthy  of  special 
commendation,  Rev.  Samuel  Gladman  of  Parsons,  Martha 
Folsom  of  Grant,  R.  H.  Butler  of  Bokchito  and  Charles  Bibbs, 

Illness  prevented  the  attendance  of  W.  S.  English,  direc- 
tor of  the  state  college. 

One  of  the  resolutions  adopted  was  as  follows: 

"That  we  note  with  great  pleasure  the  manifest  in- 
crease of  interest  in  this  session  of  the  Farmer's  Institute, 
on  the  part  of  the  superintendent,  teachers  and  students  of 
Oak  Hill  Academy  and  of  the  people  generally,  there  being 
a  good  local  attendance  and  a  larger  representation  than 
ever  before  of  interested  farmers  and  speakers  from  other 
parts  of  the  surrounding  country." 

10 


290  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

At  this  meeting  it  was  decided  the  annual  membership 
fee  shall  be  for  men,  twenty-five  cents ;  and  for  women,  ten 
cents. 

SECOND  OAK  HILL  INSTITUTE 

The  closing  day  of  the  second  observance  of  Emancipa- 
tion day  by  a  two-day  Farmer's  institute  at  Oak  Hill  Acad- 
emy occurred  January  1,  1908.  Among  the  new  speakers 
were  Rev.  Wiley  Homer  of  Grant,  Rev.  William  Butler  of 
Eagletown  and  Jack  A.  Thomas.  Isaac  Johnson  and  James 
G.  Shoals  served  as  president  and  secretary  and  were  again 
re-elected.  Prof.  C.  A.  McNabb  of  Guthrie,  Secretary  of  the 
State  Board  of  Agriculture,  promised  two  addresses,  but  fail- 
ed to  arrive.  The  resolutions  included  a  memorial  to  con- 
gress for  the  establishment  of  postal  savings  banks  and  a 
parcels  post,  both  of  which  were  established  a  few  years 
(1912)  later.  They  also  included  the  following  one  in  regard 
to  the  Mexican  boll-weevil  that  during  the  previous  four 
years  had  nearly  ruined  the  cotton  crop. 

"In  order  that  we  may  do  something  practical  in  the 
way  of  checking  the  ravages  of  the  boll-weevil,  we  encour- 
age every  one  raising  cotton  in  this  section,  to  plow  up  and 
burn  as  early  as  possible  each  fall,  all  the  old  cotton  stalks, 
which  principally  furnish  their  fall  and  spring  food  supply; 
and  as  far  as  possible  to  avoid  planting  cotton  in  the  same 
ground  two  years  in  succession." 

The  record  of  these  two  Farmer's  institutes  at  Oak  Hill 
Academy,  and  of  three  preceding  ones  at  Forest  church,  by 
the  Choctaw  Freedmen  during  the  period  of  the  Territorial 
government,  is  of  historic  interest,  since  these  annual  in- 
stitutes preceded  any  similar  meetings,  by  the  other  folks, 
in  that  section  of  the  country.  This  observation  is  true  also 
of  the  three  summer  normals  held  at  the  Academy,  during 


FARMERS  INSTITUTES  291 

the  months  of  October  in  1905,  1906  and  1907 ;  and  of  the 
first  Oak  Hill  chautauqua,  held  July  4,  1907. 

SHORT  COURSE  IN  1912 

For  1912  the  institute  was  held  on  the  last  half  day  of 
a  three  day  short  course  in  agriculture  and  animal  hus- 
bandry conducted  by  Prof.  E.  A.  Porter  and  Mr.  R.  L.  Scott, 
expert  farmers  at  Hugo;  assisted  by  Prof.  J.  W.  Reynolds 
of  Muskogee,  the  superintendent  and  Rev.  W.  H.  Carroll. 

In  1913,  when  the  first  opportunity  was  afforded  min- 
isters in  California  to  attend  a  short  course  in  agriculture, 
lasting  one  week,  at  the  state  university  farm,  it  was  attend- 
ed by  five  hundred  pastors  of  churches,  representing  twenty 
denominations.  This  fact,  as  an  expression  of  the  trend  of 
public  sentiment,  is  noted  with  a  good  deal  of  interest. 

ISAAC  JOHNSON 

Isaac  Johnson,  (B.  1859)  organizer  and  president  of 
the  Farmer's  institute,  1905  to  1912,  is  a  native  of  Hopkins 
county,  Texas,  and  in  1865  located  near  Clarksville.  In  1876 
he  married  Anna  Wilson  of  the  Choctaw  Nation,  who  died 
in  1880.  He  then  went  to  school  in  Texas  and,  receiving  a 
certificate  in  1889,  taught  school  there  four  years.  In  1893, 
'94  and  '95  he  taught  successively  at  Forest,  Lukfata  and 
Eagletown,  I.  T.  In  1894  he  married  Winnie  Durant  and 
again  located  along  Red  river,  south  of  Valliant,  where  he  is 
widely  known  as  one  of  the  leading  farmers  and  stock 
raisers. 

The  people  of  the  community  in  which  he  lives,  under 
his  leadership,  on  January  1,  1897,  began  to  observe  Emanci- 
pation Day  by  holding  a  Farmer's  institute,  a  kind  of  social 
meeting,  that  afforded  an  opportunity  for  a  number  of  them 
to  make  short  addresses,  on  any  topic  of  public  or  general  in- 


292  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

terest,  and  all  to  participate  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  picnic  din- 
ner. He  enjoys  the  distinction  of  having  served  as  presi- 
dent of  this  organization  a  number  of  years  before  any 
similar  organization  was  effected  in  McCurtain  county. 

EMANCIPATION  DAY 

The  reasons  for  the  general  observance  of  New  Year's 
day  as  a  legal'  holiday  seem  eminently  appropriate,  for  the 
attention  of  the  people  is  seldom  directed  to  them.  There  are 
several  good  reasons  worthy  to  be  remembered. 

It  was  on  January  1,  1863,  that  President  Lincoln  issued 
the  memorable  proclamation,  that  emanicipated  the  slaves 
in  all  the  states,  then  at  war  against  the  general  govern- 
ment. The  number  of  the  persons  accorded  freedom  was 
about  four  millions. 

This  event,  considered  from  the  standpoint  of  the  num- 
ber of  people  affected,  was  even  greater  than  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence,  for  the  latter  resulted  in  the  freedom 
of  only  a  part  of  the  people,  and  their  number  was  one  mil- 
lion less  than  the  number  set  free  in  1863.  In  1790,  when 
the  first  census  was  taken,  fourteen  years  after  the  Declar- 
ation, the  entire  population  was  not  quite  four  millions 
and  of  that  number  697,624  were  left  in  a  state  of  slavery. 

That  "all  men  are  created  free  and  equal,"  is  a  funda- 
mental principle  of  the  Declaration,  but,  for  more  than  four- 
score years,  it  was  regarded  as  true  of  only  a  part  of  the  peo- 
ple. It  was  not  realized  by  the  other  part  of  the  people, 
that  was  gradually  increasing  from  one  to  four  millions. 
For  them  there  was  but  one  law  and  it  was,  "Servants  obey 
your  masters."  This  was  the  only  rule  of  conduct  for  the 
negro.  Under  it  he  became  socially  "a  curiosity."  He  had 
no  laws  or  ceremonies  regulating  marriage;  and  if  such 
ties  were  formed,  they  were  liable  to  be  broken  at  any  time, 


FARMERS  INSTITUTES  293 

by  their  sale  to  other  and  different  owners.  This  rule  did  not 
regulate  his  moral,  economic  or  political  life,  for  he  was  not 
recognized  as  a  person  or  citizen,  possessing  these  faculties 
and  functions.  It  did  not  prevent  him  from  worshipping 
his  Creator,  but  this  was  done  in  an  ignorant  way,  that  serv- 
ed more  for  entertainment  and  amusement,  than  the  devel- 
opment of  morality  and  piety. 

After  the  lapse  of  a  half  century,  he  has  not  yet  been 
wholly  emancipated  from  these  illiterate  and  low  social  con- 
ditions; but  he  is  approving  and  pursuing  the  better  way, 
as  he  learns  from  the  Bible,  "what  man  is  to  believe  concern- 
ing God  and  what  duty  God  requires  of  man." 

The  Emancipation  proclamation  thus  affected  the  des- 
tiny of  more  persons  than  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
and  it  marks  the  beginning  of  the  era  of  universal  freedom ; 
when  all  the  people  could  unite  in  saying,  America  is  the 
"land  of  the  free,"  as  well  as  the  "home  of  the  brave."  It 
also  effected  national  unity,  by  completely  removing  the 
one  great  cause  of  previous  political  dissension.  It  pre- 
pared the  way  for  America  to  be  the  home  of  a  happy  and 
united  people,  knowing  no  north  or  south,  east  or  west.  In 
these  great  facts  of  national  importance  there  are  found 
good  reasons  for  the  annual  observance  of  Emancipation 
day,  as  a  legal  holiday,  as  well  as  the  anniversary  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence. 


XXXVII 

THE  APIARY 

"Go  to  the  ant,  thou  sluggard;  which  gathereth  her 
food  in  the  harvest;  consider  her  ways  and  be  wise." 

— Solomon. 

l^^xf^JTfJHE  Oak  Hill  apiary  consists  of  twenty  or 
y[  more  colonies,  and     their     annual  yield  of 


comb  honey  ranges  from  300  to  500  pounds. 
It  was  started  with  two  colonies  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1905.  These  were  obtained  by  the 
superintendent  and  H.  C.  Shoals,  from  two  hollow  trees  in 
the  timber  near  Red  river,  and  were  what  are  known  as 
"wild  bees."  They  and  their  comb  were  placed  in  movable 
comb  Langstroth  hives,  and  the  native  queens  were  soon 
afterwards  replaced  by  two  pretty  yellow  Italian  queens,  ob- 
tained by  mail  from  Little  Rock.  By  this  means  the  two 
colonies  of  wild  bees,  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  had  become 
golden  Italians. 

A  DOUBLE  SWARM 

On  a  pretty  warm  day  in  March,  1910,  when  the  locust 
trees  in  the  campus  were  in  full  bloom,  two  swarms  of  bees 
left  their  hives  about  the  same  time,  and  both  clustered  on 
the  low,  branching  limbs  of  a  small  plum  tree.  After  tak- 
ing a  photo  of  this  unusual  sight,  Miss  Weimer  and  Clar- 
ence Peete,  who  is  standing  behind  the  tree,  each  using  a 
tin  cup,  gently  lifted  the  bees  from  the  limbs  of  the  tree  and 
placed  them  in  a  hive  so  arranged,  that  instead  of  destroy- 
ing one  of  the  queens,  the  bees  naturally  separated  into  two 

(294) 


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THE  APIARY 
Orchard  and  Swarm-Sack  at  left 


STANCHIONS  FOR  CALVES 
Ora  feeding  them  with  pleasure  and  profit 


[294] 


THE  HEN  HOUSE;  OPEN  FRONT,  SEMI-MONITOR  ROOF 


rlU   r^IN,   MAIN  I    CUJN  Vr.JNlLJNL'll.o 


THE  APIARY  295 

clusters  around  their  respective  queens.  On  the  following 
morning,  the  swarm  intended  for  Clarence  was  lifted  out  by 
him  and  put  in  a  separate  hive.  The  operations  of  hiving 
and  separating  the  swarms  were  very  successfully  per- 
formed, without  either  of  them  receiving  a  single  sting,  and 
in  the  fall  both  colonies  had  a  good  supply  of  surplus 
honey.  As  an  inducement  to  the  young  people  to  learn  to 
manage  bees  profitably,  a  colony  was  presented  to  those 
who  undertook  the  responsibility  of  caring  for  them  at 
the  Academy. 

The  first  frost  in  the  fall  of  the  year  indicates  the 
time  to  remove  the  surplus  honey  from  the  hives;  and  to 
cut  a  bee-tree  merely  for  its  supply  of  honey  and  wax.  April 
and  May  however,  are  the  months  to  transfer  colonies  from 
boxes  and  hollow  trees  to  movable  comb  hives,  so  as  to 
save  the  "bee." 

A  MODEL  HOG  HOUSE 

The  following  description  of  the  hog  house  is  given 
for  the  benefit  of  students  and  patrons.  It  was  intended  to 
be  a  model  in  the  arrangement  of  every  part  and  it  is  yet 
unsurpassed  in  the  number  of  its  conveniences.  It  was  built 
in  1906  and  is  24  by  32  feet. 

An  entry,  four  feet  wide,  extends  through  the  length  of 
the  building  and  the  pens,  with  outlots,  are  arranged  on 
each  side.  The  drip  boards  of  the  troughs  are  arranged 
along  each  side  of  this  entry  making  them  easy  to  fill  with- 
out wetting  the  stock  or  pen.  The  floors  intended  for  litter 
are  further  protected  from  dampness,  by  being  elevated  one 
inch  from  the  rear  to  a  line  parallel  with  the  trough,  and 
about  two  feet  from  it.  The  litter  is  held  on  this  elevated 
part  of  the  floor  by  a  guard,  2x4  inches,  around  its  edge. 
Hanging  partitions  separate  the  entry  from  the  pens.  Fat 


296  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

hogs  are  easily  and  quickly  loaded,  by  merely  lifting  the  par- 
titions and  driving  them  through  the  entry  into  the  open 
end  of  a  wagon  box,  placed  at  the  rear  end  of  the  entry. 

It  has  a  floor  over  head  for  receiving  the  corn  from  the 
field ;  husking  and  sorting  it.  On  this  loft  there  is  a  bin  for 
storing  the  good  corn  intended  for  meal,  and  mouse-proof 
boxes  for  preserving  seed  corn  on  the  ear  until  planting 
time.  There  are  two  hatches,  one  on  each  side  at  the  rear 
for  passing  the  husks  for  litter  to  the  pens  below.  At  the 
right  near  the  front,  there  is  a  shute  that  conveys  the 
corn  for  the  pigs  to  a  crib  at  the  right  in  the  first  apart- 
ment below,  from  which  it  is  taken  at  feeding  time,  by 
raising  a  self-closing  lid  near  the  floor.  In  the  corner  of 
this  open  apartment  there  is  a  large  box  covered  with  a 
hinged  lid  for  ground  feed,  and  a  set  of  steps  to  the  loft. 
Under  the  stairs,  there  is  an  elevator  and  purifying  pump, 
that  brings  up  pure  and  cool  water  from  a  brick  walled 
cistern,  underneath  the  floor  of  the  building,  and  it  has 
never  gone  dry,  when  used  only  for  the  hogs. 

OLD  LOG  HOUSE 

The  old  log  house,  which  remained  until  1910  and  in 
which  the  school  was  founded,  was  for  a  half  century  the 
largest  and  best  building  occupied  by  the  Choctaws  in  the 
south  eastern  part  of  their  large  reservation.  During  the 
period  previous  to  1860,  when  it  was  occupied  by  Bazeel 
Leflore,  chief  of  the  Choctaw  Nation,  its  halls  and  spacious 
porches  were  the  favorite  places  of  meetings  for  the  ad- 
ministration of  tribal  affairs,  social  and  religious  gatherings. 

An  Indian  graveyard  was  located  a  few  rods  from  its 
southeast  corner.  A  neat  little  marble  monument  still 
marks  the  grave  of  Narcissa  LeFlore,  Wife  of  the  chief 
Bazeel.     She  died  at  forty  in  1854.     Small  marble  tomb- 


THE  APIARY  297 

stones,  bearing  the  names  of  LeFlore  and  Wilson,  mark  a 
half  dozen  other  graves.  One  long,  unnamed  grave  is  mark- 
ed by  a  broad  wall  of  common  rock,  three  feet  high,  covered 
with  one  large  flag  stone. 

Chief  LeFlore,  about  the  year  1860,  located  at  Good- 
land,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days.  He  left 
the  log  house  to  be  occupied  by  John  Wilson  his  nephew. 
About  twenty  years  later  Wilson  left  it  to  his  son-in-law, 
Frank  Locke,  its  last  Choctaw  occupant.  He  soon  after- 
wards left  it  to  Robin  Clark,  the  Choctaw  Freedman,  from 
whom  it  was  obtained  in  1884,  for  the  use  of  the  school. 

PAINTING 

The  pretty  and  attractive  appearance  of  the  premises  at 
Oak  Hill  was  due  to  a  considerable  extent  to  the  good  work 
of  the  boys  that  learned  to  use  the  brush  in  painting  and 
white  washing.  The  following  facts  are  noted  as  an  aid 
to  them  and  others. 

All  the  school  buildings  were  painted  cream  and  white. 
The  materials  used  were  white  lead  and  flaxseed  oil,  mixed 
in  the  proportion  of  15  to  20  pounds  of  lead  to  a  gallon  of  oil. 
A  gallon  of  the  mixture  is  expected  to  cover  225  square 
feet  of  surface  with  two  coats.  The  cream  tint,  a  warm 
color,  was  obtained  by  mixing  a  little  chrome  yellow  (and 
burnt  sienna)  with  a  pint  or  more  of  oil  and  adding  as  much 
of  this  mixture  as  was  needed  to  produce  the  desired  tint. 

The  red  paint,  used  on  the  farm  buildings  and  large 
gates,  consisted  of  Venetian  red,  a  dry  paint,  and  oil,  five 
to  eight  pounds  of  paint  to  the  gallon  of  oil.  A  white  trim- 
mer was  used  on  the  face  boards  of  the  roof,  doors  and  win- 
dows. 

The  white  wash  used  on  the  board  and  pale  fences  con- 
sisted of  quick  lime  slacked  under  water  and  gently  stirred 
during  this  process.  It  should  be  allowed  to  stand  a  day 
or  two  before  it  is  used.  A  pound  of  salt  to  the  gallon  of 
quicklime,  the  salt  being  first  dissolved  in  water,  improves 
its  wearing  quality.  A  little  boiled  rice  flour  improves  its 
adhesiveness  for  indoor  use. 

Skimmed  sweet  milk,  used  the  day  it  is  mixed,  is  an 
inexpensive  substitute  for  oil  in  applying  Venetian  red  to  old 


298  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

gates.  One  coat  will  make  them  look  right  well  for  one  or 
more  seasons.  Milk  however  should  never  be  used  except  to 
brighten  up  some  old  work  for  one  or  two  years,  and  each 
gallon  should  contain  three  pounds  of  Portland  cement,  fre- 
quently stirred. 

SEED  CORN  IMPROVED 

Large  yields  of  corn  are  secured  only  by  planting  seed 
that  has  vitality  sufficient  to  produce  a  good  ear  as  well  as 
a  stock.  Careful  and  successful  farmers  raise  and  endeavor 
to  improve  their  seed  from  year  to  year.  This  may  be  done 
on  a  small  scale  as  follows: 

Select  ten  good  sized,  straight  rowed,  deep-grained  ears. 
Remove  the  tips  and  butts.  Shell  each  ear  separately  and 
plant  in  separate  rows,  marked  and  numbered  from  one  to 
ten.  As  soon  as  the  corn  in  these  rows  begins  to  tassel  go 
through  them  every  few  days  and  remove  the  tassel  from 
every  stalk  that  is  not  forming  an  ear ;  so  that  the  pollen  or 
tassel  dust  of  the  barren  stalk  may  not  fall  on  the  silks  of 
the  corn-bearing  stalks. 

At  husking  time  husk  and  weigh  the  yield  from  each 
row  or  ear  of  seed  separately.  Missing  hills  and  barren 
stocks  indicate  a  low  vitality  in  the  seed-ear  and  also  in  the 
crop.  Select  the  seed  for  the  next  year  from  the  rows  that 
yield  the  largest  crop. 

The  yield  of  the  cotton  crop  can  be  increased  two  fold 
by  gathering  the  seed  at  picking  time  from  only  the  best 
fruited  stocks. 

HEALTH  HINTS.  Health  means  a  sound  mind  in  a 
sound  body. 

"Know  thyself",  and  remember,  that  "self-preservation 
is  the  first  law  of  nature." 

An  open  window,  day  and  night,  is  better  than  an  open 
grave. 

"Warm  sleeping  rooms  have  killed  more  people,  than 
ever  froze  to  death." 

"A  good  iron  pump,  over  a  well  protected  well,  costs 
less  than  a  case  of  typhoid." 

"Wire  screens  in  the  windows  may  keep  crape  from  the 
door." 

"A  fly  in  the  milk  often  means  a  member  of  the  family 
in  the  grave." 

Work  when  you  work  and  rest  outstretched,  when  you 
rest. 

Avoid  all  sins  of  the  flesh.    Overeating  and  eating  in- 


PLANTING  SWEET  POTATOES 
Carriers,  Droppers  and  Trowelers 


[298] 


READY  FOR  A  PULL 


-aH^ 


"1#S$$gW?W»e$8C&, 


THE  APIARY  299 

jurious  foods  or  drinks  are  responsible  for  many  ills  of  body 
and  mind. 

He  who  said,  "I  am  the  bread  of  life,"  said  also,  "He 
that  eateth  me  shall  live  by  me." 

Cherish  a  cheerful,  hopeful  spirit  by  reading  at  least 
one  promise  from  the  Bible,  for  meditation,  every  day. 
Learn  how  to  look  pleasant,  even  when  you  may  be  feeling 
otherwise. 

Fix  the  mind  on  the  virtue  to  be  cultivated  rather  than 
on  the  vice  to  be  overcome. 

If  the  heart  action  is  sometimes  weak,  avoid  all  acts  of 
over-exertion  and  sleep  on  the  right  side.  Avoid  snoring, 
by  breathing  through  the  nose. 

Sleep  is  "nature's  sweet  restorer."  Pure  air,  pure 
water  and  proper  exercise  are  nature's  healthful  invigorat- 
ors.    Use  them  freely. 

HEADACHE.  Headaches  are  due  to  three  causes, 
namely,  eye-strain,  indigestion,  and  exposures  to  damp- 
ness and  cold. 

To  avoid  eye-strain,  bathe  the  eyes  frequently  with 
cool  water,  and  avoid  using  them  intently  too  long,  when 
the  light  is  not  good,  especially  in  the  twilight  after  sun  set. 
To  avoid  the  sick  headache  eat  slowly  and  temperately ;  and 
drink  water  frequently  both  at  and  between  meals.  The 
ache  in  the  back  of  the  head,  caused  by  exposure  to  drafts 
of  air,  cold  and  dampness  to  the  feet,  may  be  relieved  by  the 
application  of  hot  damp  cloths  to  the  parts  affected,  and 
warming  the  feet  and  limbs  until  the  perspiration  is  start- 
ed. Never  use  dopes  or  preparations  for  headache,  pure 
sparkling  water  is  always  much  better. 

Hot  water,  sipped  frequently,  tends  to  relieve  a  cough, 
difficult  breathing  and  a  weak  heart  action.  Pure  air,  in- 
haled by  frequent  daily  deep  breathings,  and  out-door  ex- 
ercise do  more  for  weak  lungs  than  medicines. 

CHILLS.  A  chill  is  the  protest  of  the  liver  or  lungs 
after  an  exposure  one  or  more  days  previous,  that  was  not 
followed  by  a  proper  warming  of  the  feet,  especially  in  the 
evening.  Sulphate  of  quinine,  a  tonic  for  the  stomach,  is  a 
standard  remedy  for  malarial  troubles  but  its  use  should  al- 
ways be  preceded  or  accompanied  with  a  tonic  for  the  liver. 

SMALLPOX.  A  mixture  consisting  of  one  ounce  of 
cream  of  tartar,  and  two  ounces  of  sulphur  flour,  should  be 
in  every  home,  to  be  taken  a  little  occasionally  as  an  anti- 
dote, and  kept  as  an  approved  remedy  for  smallpox. 


XXXVIII 

THE  OAK  HILL  AID  SOCIETY 

AND  OTHER  CONTRIBUTING  SOCIETIES  AND  INDI- 
VIDUALS. 

THE  OAK  HILL  AID  SOCIETY 

>N  Oct.  30, 1904,  during  the  period  of  vacancy, 
ten  persons  interested  in  its  continuance 
met  in  the  Academy  and  organized  an  aid 
society,  to  aid  the  Freedmen's  Board  in 
maintaining  it.  Solomon  Buchanan  and 
Samuel  Harris  took  the  lead  in  calling  the  meeting.  James 
R.  Crabtree  served  as  chairman  and  Bertha  L.  Ahrens  as 
secretary.  The  others  present  were  Mitchell  S.  Stewart, 
Wilson  Clark,  S.  S.  Bibbs,  Charles  B.  Harris  and  Mrs.  J.  A. 
Thomas.  The  organization  was  effected  by  the  election  of 
M.  S.  Stewart,  president;  J.  A.  Thomas,  (absent)  secretary; 
B.  L.  Ahrens,  treasurer;  and  Samuel  Harris,  field  secretary: 
May  28,  1905,  George  Shoals  was  elected  president  and 
S.  S.  Bibbs,  secretary.  On  June  25th,  1905  a  constitution 
was  adopted,  in  which  its  object  was  stated  as  follows: 

"The  aims  and  object  of  this  society  shall  be:  To  help 
the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Missions  for  Freedmen;  to  raise 
the  funds  required  to  pay  for  the  land  on  which  the  build- 
ings are  located;  to  devise  ways  and  means  by  which  the 
academy  may  be  directly  aided  with  supplies  of  food,  live 
stock  and  other  things,  when  money  cannot  be  given ;  and, 
to  do  what  we  can,  to  enlarge  its  course  of  study  and  provide 
new  departments  of  industry. 

(300) 


THE  OAK  HILL  AID  SOCIETY  301 

"It  is  understood,  that  all  money  raised  shall  be  sent  to 
the  aforesaid  Mission  Board  and  be  applied  by  it  to  the  gen- 
eral needs  of  this  institution,  when  no  specific  object  has  been 
named  by  this  society.  It  is  also  understood,  that  this  so- 
ciety shall  not  hinder  the  aforesaid  Board,  in  its  absolute 
control  of  the  academy  and  farm." 

The  annual  membership  fee  is  twenty-five  cents,  other 
offerings  being  entirely  voluntary,  each  giving,  "as  the 
Lord  hath  prospered  him."  The  first  week  in  October  was 
designated,  as  the  time  for  an  annual  public  meeting,  to  give 
emphasis  to  the  work  of  the  society  and  solicit  free-will 
offerings  from  everybody.  Other  congregations  were  re- 
quested to  form  similar  organizations,  to  create  a  visible 
bond  of  union  in  the  support  of  the  academy. 

The  first  visible  result  of  this  lowly  organization,  found- 
ed as  a  forlorn  hope,  appeared  on  the  15th  of  April  1905, 
when  at  the  close  of  the  eloquent  appeal  of  Samuel  Harris, 
its  field  secretary,  before  the  Presbytery  at  Grant,  Rev.  F. 
W.  Hawley,  the  Synodical  Missionary  of  Indian  Territory, 
challenged  all  present  to  unite  with  him  in  making  a  pledge 
of  support  toward  the  purchase  of  the  land.  Heading  the 
list  with  a  pledge  of  $10.00,  all  were  surprised  to  find  it 
increased,  in  a  few  minutes,  to  $210.00.  Two  weeks  later 
Mr.  Harris  made  a  similar  appeal  at  Oak  Hill,  and  $45.00 
more  were  pledged.  He  visited  Forest  church  and  received 
pledges  to  the  amount  of  $45.00.  George  Shoals  visited 
Bethany  church  at  Parsons,  and  $15.00  more  were  pledged, 
making  the  amount  pledged,  $315.00. 

Sam  Harris,  in  the  fall  of  1905,  voluntarily  went  to 
Atoka  and  had  forty-five  acres  of  land  allotted  to  his  wife 
and  four  of  his  children,  in  order  that  they  might  later  be 
added  to  the  Oak  Hill  farm ;  and  the  education  of  his  child- 


302  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

ren  be  provided  for,  at  that  institution.  His  death  occurred 
the  next  year,  and  in  1912,  the  last  of  these  lands  were  add- 
ed to  the  Oak  Hill  farm.  His  children  are  now  enjoying  the 
privileges  of  the  institution. 

He  belonged  to  a  generation  that  could  neither  read 
nor  write,  and  that  which  he  accomplished  for  Oak  Hill 
and  his  needy  children  during  the  short  period  of  his  co-op- 
eration with  the  superintendent,  is  but  another  beautiful  il- 
lustration of  what  may  be  done  for  a  needy  and  worthy 
cause,  by  one,  however  unlearned,  whose  sincere  and  burning 
interest  leads  him  to  lend  a  helping  hand  and  to  use  the 
power  of  his  voice  in  its  behalf. 

He  had  come  to  appreciate  and,  before  the  Presbytery, 
emphasized  the  importance  of  these  three  vital  facts: 

1.  The  need  of  a  good  christian  education  for  all  the 
members  of  his  own  rapidly  growing  family. 

2.  The  great  value  of  the  educational  and  religious 
privileges,  and  the  facilities  for  industrial  training,  af- 
forded the  young  people  of  the  colored  race  at  Oak  Hill 
Academy,  located  in  the  very  midst  of  them. 

3.  The  great  meaning  of  the  changes,  that  were  taking 
place  in  the  country  around  them  since  the  building  of  the 
railroad,  the  transition  to  statehood,  the  allotment  of  the 
lands  to  them  individually,  and  the  incoming  of  large  num- 
bers of  white  folks  from  Arkansas,  Texas  and  other  sec- 
tions; who  were  founding  and  building  towns,  leasing  and 
occupying  the  farm  lands,  gaining  control  of  the  business  in- 
terests of  the  community ;  and  thus  making  it  ten  fold  more 
necessary  for  the  young  people  of  the  colored  race  to  have 
sufficient  intelligence  to  enable  them  to  do  their  own  think- 
ing and  manage  successfully  their  own  business  interests,  in 


THE  OAK  HILL  AID  SOCIETY  303 

order  to  avoid  the  impending  doom,  of  being  soon  crowded 
out  of  their  present  homes  and  possessions. 

His  burning  desire  as  he  often  expressed  it,  was  to 
bring  it  to  pass,  that  their  children  and  the  generations  to 
come  might  rise  up  and  be  able  to  say,  "Our  Fathers,  in 
grateful  acknowledgement  of  the  inestimable  value  of  the 
educational,  moral  and  religious  privileges,  that  the  Pres- 
byterian Board  of  Missions  had  established  and  so  long 
maintained,  for  the  benefit  of  the  colored  people  of  that  sec- 
tion, had  contributed  the  funds,  paid  for  and  donated  the 
lands  occupied  by  the  buildings  of  Oak  Hill  Industrial  Acad- 
emy." 

The  members  of  his  family,  in  whose  names  the  allot- 
ments for  Oak  Hill  were  secured,  were  Catherine,  his  wife; 
Roland  (died  Nov.  24,  1911),  John,  Margie  and  Ellen. 

LAND  FUNDS  CONTRIBUTED 

The  following  is  a  brief  summary  of  the  funds  con- 
tributed for  the  purchase  of  the  land  at  Oak  Hill. 

Rev.  F.  W.  Hawley,  Sam  Harris,  Bertha  L.  Ahrens, 
Adelia  M.  Eaton,  Wiley  Homer,  William  Butler,  R.  D.  Col- 
bert, Malinda  A.  Hall,  Noah  S.  Alverson,  R.  E.  Flickinger 
and  Jo  Lu  Wolcott,  each  $10.00;  Samuel  Gladman,  W.  J. 
Starks,  S.  H.  Buchanan,  John  Richards  and  Finley  Union 
Sunday  school,  Lehigh,  per  Isabella  Monroe,  each  $5.00; 
Virginia  Williams,  and  Matt  Brown,  each  $3.00;  Simon  Fol- 
som  and  Alonza  Lewis,  $2.50;  specials  from  churches  in 
Oklahoma,  as  follows:  Anadarko,  Bartlesville,  Perry  and 
Vinita,  each  $2.00;  Chelsea,  $2.50;  Muskogee  and  Wagoner, 
each  $3.00;  Oklahoma  First,  $5.00;  Oak  Hill  $10.00;  and 
Alva  $50.00. 

The  Oak  Hill  Aid  Society  in  1906  gave  $39.00;  in  1907 
$46.00;  in  1908,  $16.00  and  in  1910  to  1912,  $19.00;  making 
for  it  $120.00,  and  altogether  $335.00. 

This  amount  covers  the  cost  of  the  forty  acre  allotment 
of  Samuel  A.  Folsom,  on  which  the  Academy  and  Boy's 
Hall  are  located.  This  was  the  first  tract  purchased,  and 
it  was  obtained  August  30,  1908,  a  few  days  after  the  Choc- 


304  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

taw  Freedmen  were  legally  authorized  to  execute  warranty 
deeds. 

These  facts  are  worthy  of  note,  since  to  that  extent 
they  indicate  the  achievement  of  that  object,  for  which 
Sam  Harris  plead  so  earnestly  and  effectively  at  Presbytery. 

A  lady  at  San  Jose,  California,  gave  $200  in  1909,  for  an 
annuity  bond  to  cover  tract  No.  5,  on  the  Oak  Hill  plat,  con- 
taining twenty  acres  and  allotted  to  Caroline  Prince.  Bertha 
L.  Ahrens  in  1908  purchased  the  three  fourths  inheritance  of 
three  of  the  heirs  of  William  Shoals,  in  tract  No.  8,  contain- 
ing thirty  acres,  that  in  course  of  time,  it  might  be  included ; 
and  in  1909  and  1913,  R.  E.  Flickinger  donated  tract  num- 
ber 4,  containing  twenty  acres  north  of  the  buildings.  These 
three  specials  include  and  cover  the  70  acres  on  section  20, 
north  of  the  public  road,  north  of  the  buildings. 

The  Oak  Hill  Women's  Missionary  society  was  organ- 
ized in  October  1906,  and  at  the  end  of  its  first  year  contrib- 
uted to  Home  Missions,  Gunnison,  Utah,  $5.00;  and  to  the 
Board  of  Freedmen,  $15.00. 

LOCALITY  OF  DONORS 

The  following  exhibit  shows  the  location  of  the  gener- 
ous contributors,  who  united  in  furnishing  the  general  ex- 
pense funds  for  the  support  of  the  students  and  furnishing 
the  Temporary  Boy's  Hall,  as  it  appeared  in  the  report  for 
July  1,  1909. 

Expense       Furnishing 

California 

Illinois 

Iowa 

Kansas 

Ohio 

Oklahoma 

New  York 

Pennsylvania 

Total  $1166.18  $121.15  $1287.33 

DONORS  TO  THE  GENERAL  SUPPORT 

A  record  has  already  been  made  of  those  who  contrib- 
uted toward  the  purchase  of  the  farm  in  response  to  the 
appeal  through  the  Oak  Hill  Aid  society.    A  grateful  men- 


^und 

Boy's  Hall 

Total 

$444.20 

$13.41 

$457.61 

55.00 

55.00 

96.75 

5.00 

101.75 

19.23 

12.25 

31.48 

105.00 

105.00 

117.00 

80.49 

197.49 

5.00 

5.00 

329.00 

5.00 

334.00 

THE  OAK  HILL  AID  SOCIETY  305 

tion  of  the  Women's  and  Young  People's  societies  and  in- 
dividual donors,  who  contributed  to  the  support  and  exten- 
sion of  the  general  work  of  the  institution,  seems  eminently 
appropriate.     They  include  the  following  list: 

ALABAMA:  The  Negro  in  Business  by  Booker  T. 
Washington,  Tuskeegee. 

CALIFORNIA:  Alhambra,  Dinuba,  Rev.  H.  J.  Froth- 
ingham,  Elsinore;  Eureka,  Lampoc,  Long  Beach,  Mrs. 
O.  L.  Mason;  Los  Gatos,  Los  Angeles,  First; 
Mrs.  Margaret  Daniels,  Mrs.  Archibald ;  Central,  Mrs.  Hiram 
Leithead ;  Highland  Park,  Mrs.  Kate  C.  Moody  M.  D. ;  Third, 
Mary  A.  Clark,  Boyle  Heights,  Hollywood,  Immanuel,  Span- 
ish Mission,  Carrie  E.  Crowe,  Westminster;  Nordhoff,  Mar- 
garet Daniels;  North  Ontario,  New  Monterey,  Monte  Cito, 
Oakland,  Mattie  Hunter;  Orange,  Red  Bluff,  San  Diego 
First,  Mrs.  A.  W.  Crawford;  San  Jose  First  and  Second, 
Mrs.  Frances  Palmer,  Mrs.  G.  H.  Start,  Mrs.  Mary  Langdon ; 
Lebanon  of  San  Francisco,  San  Martin,  Santa  Barbara,  San- 
ta Clara,  Santa  Cruz,  Santa  Paula,  San  Louis  Obispo ;  Upland 
Ventura,  Watsonville. 

COLORADO:    Fort  Morgan,  Gunnison,  Timnath. 

CONNECTICUT:  Miss  A.  C.  Benedict,  Waterbury. 

ILLINOIS:  Cairo;  Chicago,  Bethany,  J.  H.  Jones, 
Leslie  Music  Company;  Fairbury,  Mrs.  J.  J.  Pence;  Mason 
City,  Springfield  Second. 

INDIANA:  William  Elliot,  Lafayette  $5,000  for  El- 
liott Hall;  Greensburg,  Winona  Lake. 

IOWA:  Alta,  Lucy  M.  Haywood;  Boone,  Burlington 
First,  Clarinda,  Corning,  Corning  Presbytery,  Crawfords- 
ville,  Creston,  Des  Moines  Central,  Fonda,  M.  E.  Church, 
Mrs.  A.  S.  Wood,  Adele  Curkeet,  Adelia  M.  Eaton,  Mrs.  R. 
E.  Flickinger,  Geo.  Sanborn,  Mrs.  J.  B.  Weaver,  Mrs.  John 
E.  Jordan,  Clark  Perry;  Fort  Dodge,  Gilmore  City,  Mrs. 
Bert  C.  McGinnis,  Clarence  M.  Patterson;  Grimes,  Ham- 
burg, Knoxville,  Lenox,  Malvern,  Manchester,  Nodaway, 
Princeton,  Red  Oak,  Rockwell  City,  Ella  T.  Smith,  Elmer  E. 
Johnson,  John  H.  Mattison;  Sanborn,  Sigourney,  Shenan- 
doah, State  Center,  Storm  Lake,  Washington,  Bethel,  Win- 
field,  Walnut. 

KANSAS:  Auburn,  Burlington,  Clay  Center,  Derby, 
Edgerton,  Herrington,  Halstead,  Highland,  Humboldt,  Junc- 
tion City,  Kansas  City,  First,  Grand  View  Park,  Western 


306  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Highland;  Lincoln  Center,  Lawrence,  Lyons,  Manhattan, 
Morganville,  Mulberry  Creek,  Neodesha,  Oakland,  Osawat- 
omie,  Oswego,  Phillipsburg,  Roxbury,  Stanley,  Sterling, 
Syracuse,  Topeka,  First,  Second,  Third  and  Westminster, 
M.  B.  True ;  Waverly,  Wichita,  First. 

MASSACHUSETTS:    Marblehead,  Mrs.  J.  J.  Gregory. 

MICHIGAN:    Coldwater,  Harrington. 

MISSOURI:  Kansas  City,  Montgomery  Ward  &  Co., 
Maryville,  Prof,  J.  C.  Speckerman;  St.  Louis,  Majestic 
Range  Co. 

NEBRASKA:  Beatrice. 

NEW  YORK:  Mexico,  Mrs.  Mary  O.  Becker,  Mrs. 
Mamie  G.  Richardson;  Plattsburg,  Mrs.  M.  D.  Edwards; 
Honoye,  Anna  M.  Bowerman ;  New  York,  Am.  Bible  Society, 
Oliver  Swet  Marden. 

OHIO:  Belief ontaine,  Mrs.  D.  O.  Spade;  Columbiana, 
Mrs.  Mattie  C.  Flickinger;  Dayton  Lorenz  Music  Co.;  Deni- 
son,  College  Hill,  Miss  H.  M.  Wilson;  East  Liverpool  First, 
Mansfield,  Springfield  First,  Wellsville  First. 

OKLAHOMA:  Alva,  Mrs.  H.  E.  Mason,  Anadarko, 
Atoka,  Annie  Osborne,  Ardmore,  Rev.  Charles  C.  Weith, 
Bartlesville,  Blackwell;  Mrs.  Emma  F.  McBride,  Coalgate; 
Cement,  Central,  Cimmaron  Presbyterial ;  Chickasha,  Ed- 
mond,  Elk  City,  El  Reno,  Mrs.  F.  R.  Farrand,  Enid,  Eagle- 
town,  Kiamichi  Presbyterial;  Garvin,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  W.  H. 
and  Emma  A.  Carroll;  Hobart,  Mrs.  Geo.  D.  Willingham; 
Frederick,  Griffin,  Charity  Glover;  Granite,  Grant,  Susan 
Seats,  Kaw,  Kingfisher,  MacAlester,  Millerton,  Ranee  Cher- 
ry, Joseph  Garner;  Muskogee  First,  Mulhall,  Norman,  Prof. 
Geo.  N.  Gould;  Oklahoma  First,  Phil  C.  Baird  D.  D.,  Mrs. 
W.  A.  Knott;  Okmulgee,  Perry,  Ponca,  Shawnee,  Stroud, 
Tulsa,  Tonkawa,  Oak  Hill,  Valliant,  Solomon  H.  Buchanan, 
Dining  Table  and  Chairs,  Samuel  Folsom,  Front  Door  of 
Elliot  Hall,  Lucretia  C.  Brown  Communion  Service,  Bertha 
L.  Ahrens,  Adelia  M.  Eaton,  John  Claypool,  Malinda  A.  Hall, 
R.  E.  and  Mary  A.  Flickinger;  Vinita,  Wagoner,  Watonga. 

NORTH  DAKOTA:  Fillmore,  Mary  I.  Weimer. 

PENNSYLVANIA:  Armagh,  Bakerstown,  Black  Lick, 
Blairsville  First,  Blairsville  Presbyterial,  Braddock,  First 
and  Calvary;  Buelah,  Coatesville,  E.  Lilley;  Cresson,  Con- 
gruity,  Derry,  Doe  Run,  Easton,  College  Hill,  Brainard  and 


THE  OAK  HILL  AID  SOCIETY 


307 


South  Side;  East  Liberty,  Ebensburg,  Greensburg,  First 
and  Westminster;  Anna  B.  Hazleton,  Irwin,  Jeanette,  Lat- 
robe,  Ligonier,  Johnstown,  First,  Second  and  Laurel  Ave- 
nue; Lewistown,  Manor,  McGinnis,  Murraysville,  Philadel- 
phia, Lena  D.  Fieber  and  Prof,  H.  W.  Flickinger ;  Pittsburg, 
First  and  Second,  Ellen  M.  Watson,  Mary  R.  Scott;  Port 
Royal,  Parnassus,  Pleasant  Grove,  Poke  Run,  Plum  Creek, 
New  Alexandria,  New  Kensington,  South  Danville,  Mrs.  W. 
A.  Reagel;  Turtle  Creek,  Westmont  Chapel,  Wilkinsburg, 
Martha  Graham,  Mrs.  J.  J.  Campbell,  Williamsburg,  Wind- 
ber  and  Windsor. 

SOUTH  DAKOTA:  Volga,  Hartford,  Mrs.  M.  E.  Crowe. 

TEXAS :  Bushy  Creek,  Mary  A.  Pierson,  Crockett,  Mrs. 
John  B.  Smith. 


XXXVI X 

TRIBUTES  TO  THE  ¥/ORKERS 

AHRENS.  —  EATON.  —  CLAYPOOL.  —  WEIMER.  —  WOLCOTT. 
—HALL.  —  DONALDSON.  —  BUCHANAN. 

"Our  lives  are  songs,  God  writes  the  words, 
And  we  set  them  to  music  at  pleasure ; 
And  the  song  grows  glad,  sweet,  or  sad 
As  we  choose  to  fashion  the  measure." 

MARY  A.  FLICKINGER 

ix^^/fJRS.  Flickinger  is  gratefully  remembered  for 
yf    y(  five  years  of  untiring  service  as  assistant 
superintendent. 

The  sphere  of  her  observation  and  sug- 
gestion included  all  the  women's  work  in  the 
buildings,  occupied  by  the  students,  and  the  special  care  of 
the  garden  and  Boy's  Hall.  In  connection  with  this  daily 
oversight,  there  was  always  manifested  a  feeling  of  personal 
responsibility,  to  carry  to  completion  at  the  end  of  the  day, 
any  unfinished  work,  that  would  otherwise  prevent  some  of 
the  larger  girls  from  enjoying  the  privileges  of  the  school, 
during  the  evening  study  hour. 

Trained  in  her  youth  to  execute  speedily  all  the  kinds 
of  work,  usually  required  on  a  well  arranged  farm,  and  also 
as  a  sewer  and  nurse,  she  proved  a  very  valuable  helper. 
She  became  the  home  physician,  administering  the  med- 
icines and  caring  for  the  sick.  Her  method  of  treatment  in- 
cluded the  prevention  of  some  of  the  milder,  but  common 

(308) 


TRIBUTES  TO  THE  WORKERS  309 

forms  of  disease,  by  the  regular  administration  of  some  in- 
expensive antidotes.  These  two  principles  were  frequently 
expressed:  "Self-preservation  is  the  first  law  of  nature," 
and  "Prevention  is  better  than  cure."  The  young  people 
were  also  encouraged  to  learn,  how  to  keep  and  intelligently 
use,  a  few  simple  remedies  in  the  home. 

She  and  her  husband  are  both  natives  of  Port  Royal, 
Juniata  county,  Pa.,  and  their  marriage  occurred  there,  June 
20,1878.  They  have  filled  pastorates  at  Doe  Run,  Pa.,  Wal- 
nut, and  Fonda,  Iowa.  They  raised  the  funds  and  secured 
the  erection  of  churches  at  Marne,  Fonda,  Pomeroy  and  Var- 
ina,  Iowa;  and  a  commodious  parsonage  at  Fonda.  He  has 
served  as  a  trustee  of  Corning  Academy,  Buena  Vista  college 
and  of  the  Presbytery  of  Fort  Dodge ;  stated  clerk  and  treas- 
urer of  the  latter  twelve  and  a  half  years,  and  as  Moderator 
of  the  Synod  of  Iowa,  at  Washington  in  1901 ;  and  by  special 
request,  as  author  of  the  Pioneer  History  of  Pocahontas 
county,  Iowa,  in  1904.  Mrs.  Flickinger  in  her  youth  became 
a  teacher  in  the  Sunday  school,  and  during  all  the  years  that 
have  followed,  has  been  an  efficient  and  aggressive  so- 
licitor and  teacher  of  the  children,  in  that  important  depart- 
ment of  the  work  of  the  church. 

She  has  ever  manifested  an  unusual  degree  of  energy, 
always  preferring  to  do  all  her  own  home  work,  rather  than 
have  it  done  by  others.  One  who  enjoyed  the  privilege  of 
witnessing  her  unflagging  energy  and  enthusiastic  devo- 
tion to  her  work,  rising  early  and  working  late,  at  a  time 
when  she  was  supposed  to  be  unable  to  do  more  than  take 
care  of  herself,  paid  to  her  this  friendly  compliment:  "You 
work  with  the  untiring  industry  of  a  bee,  the  patient  per- 
severance of  a  beaver,  the  overcoming  strength  of  a  lion, 
and  the  double  quickness  of  a  deer." 


310  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Her  liberal  responses  to  the  calls  of  the  needy  have 
been  limited  only  by  her  ability  to  work,  save  and  give. 

BERTHA  LOUISE  AHRENS 

"I'll  praise  my  Maker  with  my  breath ; 
And  when  my  voice  is  lost  in  death, 
Praise  shall  employ  my  nobler  powers." 

— The  Psalmist. 

Bertha  Louise  Ahrens  (B.  Feb.  26,  1857),  missionary 
teacher  among  the  Choctaw  Freedmen  of  Indian  Territory 
since  1885,  and  principal  teacher  at  Oak  Hill  Academy,, 
1905-1911,  is  a  native  of  Berlin,  Prussia.  Her  parents,  Ot- 
to and  Augusta  Ahrens,  in  1865,  when  she  was  8,  and  a 
brother  Otto  5,  came  to  America  and  located  on  a  farm  near 
Sigourney,  Iowa,  after  one  year  at  Bellville,  111.;  and  four, 
at  Harper,  Iowa.  The  schools  and  churches  first  attended 
used  the  German  language.  Her  first  studies  in  English 
were  in  the  graded  schools  at  Sigourney  and  here  at  seven- 
teen, she  became  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church 
under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  S.  G.  Hair.  He  loaned  her  some 
missionary  literature  to  read  and  it  awakened  a  desire  on 
her  part  to  become  a  missionary.  This  desire  was  express- 
ed to  the  Women's  Missionary  society  of  the  church  and 
she  was  encouraged  to  attend  the  Western  Female  Semin- 
ary, now  college,  at  Oxford,  Ohio.  After  a  course  of  study 
at  this  institution  she  enjoyed  a  year's  training  in  the 
Bible  school  connected  with  Moody's  Chicago  Avenue 
church,  Chicago. 

During  the  next  year,  after  hearing  in  her  home  town 
an  appeal  in  behalf  of  a  Negro  school  in  the  south,  she  was 
led  to  offer  her  services  to  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Mis- 
sions for  Freedmen.  In  December  1885,  she  received  a 
commission   with   request    to   locate   among  the  Choctaw 


TRIBUTES  TO  THE  WORKERS  311 

Freedmen  at  Lukfata,  in  the  southeast  part  of  Indian  Ter- 
ritory. The  route  at  that  early  date  was  quite  circuitous. 
Going  south  through  Kansas  City  over  the  M.  K.  T.  Ry.,  to 
Denison,  Texas,  she  passed  eastward  by  rail  to  Bells,  through 
Paris  to  Clarksville,  Texas;  and  thence  northward  forty 
miles  to  Wheelock  and  Lukfata.  Clarksville,  south  of  Red 
river  continued  to  be  the  nearest  town  and  station  during 
the  next  ten  years. 

She  has  now  completed  twenty-eight  years  of  contin- 
uous and  faithful  service  as  a  missionary  teacher  among 
the  Freedmen.  During  these  years  she  has  served  the  fol- 
lowing communities  and  churches. 

Lukfata,  Mount  Gilead  11  years     1885-1896. 

Fowlerville,  Forest  3  years     1896-1899. 

Goodland,  Hebron  1  year      1899-1900. 

Grant,  Beaver  Dam  4  years     1900-1904. 

Valliant,  Oak  Hill  Academy  6i/2  years     1904-1911. 

Beaver  Dam  1  year      1911-1912. 

Wynnewood,  Bethesda  Mission  2  years     1912-1914. 

She  is  now  serving  as  principal  teacher  in  the  Bethesda 
Home  and  School,  located  three  miles  northeast  of  Wynne- 
wood  in  the  Chickasaw  Nation.  This  school  was  opened 
Nov.  1,  1899.  It  was  founded  by  Carrie  and  Clara  Boles  and 
others ;  and  its  obect  is  to  provide  a  home  and  christian  edu- 
cation to  the  orphan  and  homeless  youth  of  the  colored  peo- 
ple. 

Miss  Ahrens  has  been  a  life  long  and  conscientious 
Christian  worker,  among  the  Freedmen  of  the  Choctaw  Na- 
tion. Her  name  is  a  household  word  to  all  of  them.  She 
found  it  necessary  from  the  first  to  locate  as  a  lonely  teach- 
er among  them  in  territorial  days,  and  share  with  them  the 
unusual  privations,  incident  to  a  life  of  such  seclusion  and 


312  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

unselfish  devotion.  During  the  first  fifteen  years,  she  had 
to  live  alone  in  little,  rudely  constructed  huts  in  a  sparsely 
settled  timber  country,  where  quarrels  and  murders,  among 
both  the  Indians  and  colored  people,  were  events  of  common 
and  almost  annual  occurrence;  yet  she  never  thought  of 
leaving  her  work  or  forsaking  her  mission  on  account  of  per- 
sonal danger. 

The  following  is  an  accurate  description  of  the  little 
hut  she  occupied  three  years  while  at  Forest  church.  It  was 
built  of  saplings,  eight  feet  square  and  chinked  with  mud. 
It  had  a  fire  place,  an  opening  eighteen  inches  square  for 
light,  and  another  one  for  entrance,  that  was  about  three 
inches  lower  than  her  height.  The  chimney  was  built  of 
mud,  so  small  and  crooked  that  only  a  part  of  the  smoke 
could  be  induced  to  go  up  it,  on  a  windy  day.  The  blind  for 
closing  the  window  opening  was  so  open,  it  merely  broke  the 
force  of  the  wind,  it  could  not  keep  it  out,  nor  the  lamp  from 
blowing  out.  The  little  door  left  similar  openings  above  and 
below  it.  On  windy  days  the  smoke  found  its  way  out 
through  these  and  other  openings  overhead.  These  condi- 
tions after  a  while  were  relieved,  by  the  insertion  of  a  win- 
dow in  the  opening,  and  covering  the  walls  of  the  room  with 
sheets. 

The  floor  space  was  fully  occupied,  when  it  was  sup- 
plied with  a  bed,  trunk,  sewing  machine,  book  case,  table 
and  one  chair.  It  lacked  room  for  the  organ,  which  had  to 
be  kept  in  the  chapel. 

There  was  no  porch,  and  into  this  little  room  the  child- 
ren on  Sabbath  afternoons  would  crowd  to  sing,  standing 
until  they  grew  weary,  and  then  sitting  on  the  floor.  This 
rude  and  lonely  hut  was  located  about  one  fourth  of  a  mile 
from  the  church.    Near  it  was  another  and  larger  one-room 


TRIBUTES  TO  THE  WORKERS  313 

cabin,  having  a  porch,  that  was  occupied  by  a  good  elder  of 
the  church,  his  wife  and  a  family  of  six  children. 

The  school  rooms,  that  she  had  to  occupy,  in  order  to 
fulfil  her  mission,  though  the  best  the  colored  people  could 
afford,  were  also  of  the  rudest  sort.  It  was  a  difficult  task, 
to  make  them  look  within  like  tidy  temples  of  knowledge. 

Her  work  was  also  very  elementary.  As  the  pupils 
would  advance  and  their  work  become  interesting,  they 
would  drop  out  of  school.  Yet  it  never  occurred  to  her  the 
work  was  wearisome,  because  it  was  monotonous  and  often 
disappointing.  If  experiences  were  disappointing,  or  the 
day,  gloomy,  there  remained  to  her  the  Bible,  with  its  prec- 
ious and  unchanging  promises ;  and  the  organ,  responsive  as 
ever  to  the  touch  of  her  hand.  These  were  home  com- 
forts, that  enabled  her  to  forget  the  trials  and  burdens  of 
each  day,  before  its  close. 

Her  work  as  a  teacher  has  been  increasingly  attrac- 
tive. The  secret  of  this  unflagging  and  ever  increasing  in- 
terest, is  found  in  the  large  place,  given  the  Bible  in  all  her 
teaching  work.  It  has  been  a  daily  text  book  in  the  school 
room.  On  the  Sabbath,  her  opportunity  to  read  and  ex- 
plain it  to  all  the  people  of  the  community,  as  superinten- 
dent of  the  Sunday  school,  has  been  even  greater  than  that 
of  some  of  the  ministers  in  charge,  when  the  latter  was  only 
a  monthly  visitor,  while  she  served  faithfully  every  Sab- 
bath. 

The  world  is  needing  the  light  of  Bible  truth.  It  is  life 
giving.  "Go  teach,"  is  as  urgent  as  the  commission,  "Go 
preach."  The  opportunity  to  supply  the  world's  great  need, 
with  the  life  giving  Word  of  God,  is  an  inspiration  to  the 
consecrated  christian  teacher. 


314  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

She  has  felt  this  inspiration,  and  has  become  a  very 
capable  interpreter  and  practical  expositor  of  the  Bible.  She 
has  been  well  equipped  to  lead  the  people  in  song,  and  has 
received  many  evidences  of  the  highest  appreciation  of  her 
work,  as  a  Bible  instructor. 

Though  not  possessing  what  might  be  termed  a  rugged 
constitution,  she  has  never  lost  a  week,  at  any  one  time, 
from  the  school  room  on  account  of  illness.  She  has  been 
free  to  express  the  desire  to  continue  to  labor,  as  a  faithful 
and  efficient  teacher,  among  the  Freedmen  as  long  as  her 
strength  will  permit.  Ruth  expressed  her  sentiments,  when 
she  said  to  Naomi : 

"Entreat  me  not  to  leave  thee;  where  thou  lodgest  I 
will  lodge;  Thy  people  shall  be  my  people  and  thy  God  my 
God." 

She  has  been  a  true  missionary  hero.  She  has  been 
willing  to  work  in  one  of  the  most  solitary  places,  for  the 
lowliest  of  people,  without  the  ordinary  comforts  of  home 
and  friends.  Whilst  her  Bible  work  has  been  continued 
through  the  entire  years,  with  but  two  exceptions,  her  in- 
come— a  mere  pittance — has  been  limited  to  the  terms  of 
school.  This  has  made  necessary  very  close  economy  in  per- 
sonal expenses,  but  has  not  prevented  liberal  offerings  to 
promote  the  work  of  the  church.  Her  seclusion,  priva- 
tions and  dangers,  during  the  first  fifteen  years,  were  as 
great  as  of  many  of  those,  who  have  gone  to  the  remote 
parts  of  the  earth.  The  heroic  spirit  of  Martin  Luther, 
translator  of  the  German  Bible  she  learned  to  read  in  youth, 
has  always  proved  a  source  of  great  inspiration,  to  be  faith- 
ful and  courageous.  When  he  was  warned  of  the  danger  of 
martyrdom  at  Worms,  where  he  had  been  summoned  for 
trial  for  declaring  the  plain  words  of  the  Bible,  he  bravely 


TRIBUTES  TO  THE  WORKERS  315 

said,  "Were  they  to  make  a  fire  that  would  extend  from 
Worms  to  Wittemberg,  and  reach  even  to  the  sky,  I  would 
walk  across  it,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  I  would  appear  be- 
fore them  and  confess  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  And  a  little 
later,  "Were  there  as  many  devils  (cardinals)  in  Worms,  as 
there  are  tiles  upon  the  roofs,  I  would  enter,"  for  the  Elect- 
or had  promised  him  a  safe  conduct.  When  he  arrived  at 
Worms  and  stood  before  his  accusers,  he  finally  said :  "Here 
I  am,  I  neither  can,  nor  will  retract  anything.  I  cannot  do 
otherwise;  God  help  me."  These  noble  and  courageous 
words  of  Luther  are  well  adapted,  to  prove  an  inspiration  to 
every  one  that  reads  them. 

Her  courage  has  led  and  kept  her  in  the  place  of  priv- 
ilege and  duty.  Her  faithfulness  and  devotion  have  en- 
abled her  to  win  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  who  have 
come  within  the  sphere  of  her  acquaintance  and  friendship. 
She  continues  to  pursue  her  chosen  and  loved  employment, 
of  serving  as  a  missionary  teacher  among  the  Freedmen  of 
Indian  Territory,  now  Oklahoma,  in  the  spirit  of  the 
Psalmist. 

"My  days  of  praise  shall  ne'er  be  past, 
While  life,  and  thought,  and  being  last, 
Or  immortality  endures." 

ADELIA  M.  EATON 

The  superintendent,  teachers,  students  and  friends  of 
Oak  Hill  were  called  upon  to  sustain  a  great  loss  and  ex- 
perience a  deep  sorrow,  as  the  sun  was  setting,  on  June  5, 
1908,  when  Adelia  M.  Eaton,  our  highly  esteemed  matron, 
after  three  and  one  half  years  of  unusually  efficient  ser- 
vice, and  a  brief  illness  of  one  week  after  the  end  of  the 
term,  peacefully  and  trustfully  passed  from  the  scene  of 
her  faithful  missionary  labors,  to  the  enjoyment  of  her  eter- 


316  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

nal  reward.  Her  illness,  which  terminated  with  heartfail- 
ure,  seemed  to  be  the  outcome  of  a  weariness  that  ensued 
after  rendering  some  voluntary  but  needed  services  for  the 
comfort  of  others. 

She  was  the  second  daughter  of  Harvey  Eaton,  one  of 
the  hardy,  prosperous  pioneer  farmers  of  Pocahontas  coun- 
ty, Iowa,  She  grew  to  womanhood  on  the  farm,  where  she 
learned  to  be  industrious  and  earnest. 

She  early  became  identified  with  the  work  in  the  Pres- 
byterian church  and  Sunday  school  at  Fonda  where  she  re- 
ceived her  first  training  in  christian  work.  After  enjoying 
a  four  years'  course  at  Buena  Vista  college,  Storm  Lake,  as- 
sociated with  her  elder  sister,  she  spent  four  years  in  mer- 
cantile pursuits  in  Sioux  City  and  Fonda.  All  of  these  prev- 
ious employments  and  experiences  seemed  to  be  parts  of  a 
varied  training,  to  fit  her  most  fully,  for  the  position  she 
filled  as  a  missionary  teacher  at  the  Academy.  In  the  man- 
agement of  the  affairs  of  this  institution,  her  responsibili- 
ties and  duties  made  her  the  executive  helper  of  the  super- 
intendent. Here  she  found  responsiblities  and  opportun- 
ities, that  called  forth  all  her  noblest  powers,  and  enabled 
her  to  make  it  the  most  highly  useful  and  crowning  period 
of  her  life. 

She  naturally  possessed  an  attractive  personality.  She 
was  tall,  slender  and  erect  in  form,  very  prompt,  dignified 
and  graceful  in  movement.  Her  countenance  indicated  intel- 
ligence, energy  and  culture.  She  had  a  good  voice  for  public 
address,  possessed  rare  executive  ability  and  was  so  gentle 
in  manner  that  obedience  to  her  commands  was  accorded 
with  pleasure  and  delight.  Though  never  unmindful  of  her 
resources,  she  never  manifested  any  pride,  save  that  which 
every  truly  noble  soul  manifests  in  the  quality  of  its  work, 


TRIBUTES  TO  THE  WORKERS  317 

by  putting  forth  a  constant  effort  to  perform  every  duty  in 
the  most  thorough  and  efficient  manner. 

She  was  a  happy,  willing  worker.  The  key  note  of  her 
work  as  a  teacher  seemed  to  be  the  one  expressed  in  the 
words :  "My  meat  is  to  do  the  will  of  Him  that  sent  me  and 
to  finish  his  work."  John  4,  34.  Although  she  had  many 
other  important  duties  on  that  day,  she  was  always  present 
at  the  services  on  the  Sabbath.  The  memory  of  the  living 
will  not  soon  forget  the  personal  interest  she  manifested  in 
the  spiritual  welfare  of  every  member  of  her  large  class  of 
older  students  in  the  Sunday  school,  her  tender  and  affec- 
tionate appeals  to  the  young  people  at  the  Endeavor  meet- 
ings, her  interesting  and  instructive  addresses  at  institutes 
and  conventions,  and  how  she  voluntarily  lingered  to  ex- 
tend friendly  greetings  at  the  close  of  the  church  services. 

The  call,  to  engage  in  this  educational  work  among  the 
Freedmen  in  Indian  Territory,  came  to  her  at  an  unexpect- 
ed, but  opportune  time.  When  the  need  for  her  services  and 
desire  for  her  co-operation  were  stated,  she  immediately  gave 
her  assent  to  make  a  trial  of  the  work  for  a  term  of  three 
months.  As  the  work  progressed  her  interest  in  it  increas- 
ed, and  she  became  more  firmly  attached  to  it.  Her  affec- 
tions, interest  and  ambitions  seemed  to  be  transferred  to 
the  people  and  work  at  the  Academy.  Her  attachment  and 
devotion  to  this  work  was  as  remarkable  as  it  was  unexpect- 
ed. This  was  the  secret  of  the  unusual  merit  of  the  service 
rendered.  In  this  new  sphere  of  usefulness,  she  found  a 
field  of  opportunity  that  afforded  full  scope  for  the  exercise 
of  all  her  intellectual,  moral  and  spiritual  powers,  and,  en- 
gaging in  this  work  with  all  the  enthusiasm  of  her  noble 
nature,  she  rendered  a  continuous  service  so  faithful  and 


318  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

efficient,  as  to  call  forth  heartfelt  appreciation  and  words 
of  highest  commendation. 

MRS.  JOHN  CLAYPOOL 

Mrs.  John  Claypool,  matron  1908-9,  the  successor  of 
Adelia  Eaton,  came  from  membership  in  the  class  of  Mrs. 
A.  W.  Crawford  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  of  San 
Diego,  California.  Her  work  is  gratefully  remembered  for 
its  uniform  faithfulness  and  efficiency,  and  the  sweet  benef- 
icent influence  exerted  by  the  noble  womanhood  and  man- 
hood of  herself  and  husband,  previously  employed  in  a 
bank,  who  also  came  and  remained  with  her  at  the  institu- 
tion. Through  the  aid  of  the  latter,  the  profit  on  the  poul- 
try was  greater  that  year,  than  in  any  other.  The  garden 
that  year  was  greatly  enlarged  and  surrounded  with  a  new 
fence.  He  nailed  the  pales  on  the  panels  and  they  remain 
as  a  memento  of  his  interest  and  handiwork.  The  fact  that 
she  represented  one  of  the  churches  giving  most  loyal  and 
liberal  support  to  the  Academy,  and  was  thus  a  living  link 
connecting  the  work  of  the  institution  with  the  many 
friends,  supporting  it  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  gave  to  her  work 
an  additional  charm  that  was  greatly  appreciated.  They 
are  now  living  in  Texas. 

MARY  I.  WEIMER 

Mary  I.  Weimer,  who  served  as  matron  1909  to  1911, 
a  native  of  Port  Royal,  Pa.,  came  to  Oak  Hill  from  Knox,  in 
the  Devils  Lake  Region  of  North  Dakota;  where,  after  a 
course  of  preparation  at  the  state  teachers  college  at  Fargo, 
she  achieved  an  unusual  degree  of  success,  both  as  a  teacher 
and  manager  of  affairs  on  the  farm.  These  interests  pre- 
vented her  from  coming  the  previous  year  when  first  solic- 
ited. 


TRIBUTES  TO  THE  WORKERS  319 

At  the  Academy  she  rendered  a  service  so  efficient  and 
faithful  as  to  merit  the  gratitude  of  all.  After  the  loss  of 
the  Girls'  Hall,  which  occurred  during  her  first  year,  when 
all  of  its  occupants  were  deprived  of  comfortable  quarters, 
the  fear  was  entertained  she  would  want  to  be  excused 
from  further  service.  Instead  of  pursuing  this  course  she 
became  one  of  our  best  counselors  and  helpers  in  the  effort 
to  provide  for  the  comfort  of  herself  and  the  girls,  and  keep 
the  latter  from  returning  home  at  that  critical  period. 

The  superintendent  will  never  cease  to  be  grateful  for 
her  favorable  decision  at  this  trying  hour,  and  the  self- 
denial  she  voluntarily  proposed  to  undergo,  in  order  to 
make  it  possible,  to  continue  the  work  of  the  institution.  It 
was  the  period  when  Mrs.  Flickinger  was  a  helpless  invalid 
at  Fonda,  patiently  awaiting  the  return  of  her  husband,  with 
daily  anxiety.  He  could  not  leave,  however,  until  the  cellar 
excavation  and  concrete  walls  of  the  building  had  been 
completed.  This  done,  Samuel  Folsom  was  ready  to  serve 
as  foreman  of  the  carpenters,  in  the  erection  of  the  new 
building,  and  it  fell  to  the  lot  of  Miss  Weimer,  to  serve  as 
general  manager,  in  the  absence  of  the  superintendent.  The 
situation  was  one,  that  required  unusual  courage,  as  well  as 
prudence  and  self-control.  Her  heroism  was  equal  to  the 
call  to  duty.  Loyalty  and  faithfulness  were  her  constant 
watchwords. 

At  the  end  of  the  next  term  in  1911,  she  found  it  nec- 
essary to  give  her  personal  attention  anew  to  the  interests 
of  her  own  home  and  farm.  She  enjoys  the  distinction  of 
having  served  as  matron,  the  last  year  in  the  Girls'  Hall 
and  the  first  one  in  Elliott  Hall.  She  is  gratefully  remem- 
bered by  all,  who  became  the  subjects  of  her  daily  care  and 
domestic  training. 


320  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

MISS  JO  LU  WOLCOTT 

Miss  Jo  Lu  Wolcott,  matron,  February  to  June,  1912, 
was  a  daughter  of  the  late  Dr.  Wolcott  of  Chandler,  Okla. 
She  has  had  considerable  experience  as  a  teacher  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Kansas  and  Oklahoma,  and  in  the  government 
school  for  the  Indians  at  Navaho  Falls,  Colorado.  She  is 
now  serving  as  a  teacher  in  an  Indian  school  in  South  Da- 
kota. 

MALINDA  A.  HALL 

Malinda  A.  Hall  rendered  six  years  of  faithful  and  ef- 
ficient service  as  assistant  matron,  and  teacher.  Having 
completed  the  grammar  course  at  Oak  Hill  in  1900,  and 
then  a  four  years  course  at  Ingleside  Seminary  in  Vir- 
ginia, she  was  well  prepared  for  the  work  at  the  Academy, 
and  proved  a  very  reliable  and  valuable  helper.  She  was 
capable  and  always  willing,  when  requested,  to  supply  any 
vacancy  occurring  among  the  other  helpers.  She  enjoyed 
good  health,  and  never  lost  a  day  from  illness.  Her  strength 
and  energy  enabled  her  to  execute  promptly  and  efficiently, 
every  work  entrusted  to  her.  Her  work  throughout  was 
characterized  by  a  never  failing  promptness,  faithfulness 
and  energy.  She  was  familiar  with  the  needs  and  traits  of 
her  people,  was  thoroughly  devoted  to  the  promotion  of  their 
best  interests,  and  her  suggestions  were  always  gratefully 
received.  The  ability  and  enthusiasm  of  her  work,  as  the 
teacher  of  a  large  class  in  the  Sunday  school  and  leader  of 
the  young  people  in  their  Endeavor  meetings,  will  never  be 
forgotten  by  those,  who  came  within  the  sphere  of  her  voice 
and  influence. 

Since  her  marriage  in  1911  to  William  Stewart  she 
has  been  devoting  her  time  and  attention  to  the  improve- 
ment of  their  home  on  the  farm  near  Valliant.    She  is  need- 


TRIBUTES  TO  THE  WORKERS  321 

ed  on  the  farm,  but  the  thought  lingers,  that  there  continues 
to  be  a  great  need  for  her  services  in  the  educational  work 
among  her  people. 

Miss  Hall's  exploits,  as  a  sharpshooter  with  her  own 
gun,  during  her  first  year  as  a  teacher  at  Oak  Hill,  indicate 
her  responsiveness  to  the  spirit  of  chivalry,  that  prevailed 
among  the  people  during  the  period  of  her  youth. 

One  day  in  the  spring  of  the  year,  while  hunting  eggs 
in  the  second  story  of  the  old  log  house,  she  discovered  a 
large  snake  on  one  of  the  rafters  over  her  head.  Hastening 
quietly  to  her  own  room  for  a  gun,  she  brought  the  snake 
to  the  floor  with  the  first  shot.  It  measured  over  four  feet 
in  length,  was  dark  in  color  and  was  of  the  kind,  that  eats 
eggs  and  chicks,  commonly  called  a  chicken  snake.  She  al- 
so, at  the  request  of  Mrs.  Flickinger,  stunned  a  small  beef, 
that  they  together  butchered,  at  a  time  the  superintendent 
was  absent. 

MARY  A  DONALDSON 

When  Carrie  E.  Crowe  was  called  away  in  January 
1906,  the  place  was  rather  reluctantly  assumed  but  very 
acceptably  filled  by  Mrs.  Sarah  L.  Wallace  of  Fairhope,  Ala- 
bama. After  two  months  she  also  was  called  away.  The 
place  was  then  filled  by  Mary  A.  Donaldson  of  Paris,  Texas. 
She  had  been  an  attendant  at  the  first  Oak  Hill  Normal,  in 
1905,  and  then  became  a  missionary  teacher  at  Grant.  At- 
tendance at  the  Normal  led  to  her  recognition,  both  at 
Grant  and  Oak  Hill.  After  teaching  several  years  she  pur- 
sued another  course  of  training  at  New  Orleans  and  has 
become  a  professional  nurse. 


11 


322         CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

SOLOMON  H.  BUCHANAN 

"He  that  is  faithful  in  that  which  is  least,  is  faithful." 
Solomon  H.  Buchanan  is  a  native  of  Glen  Rose,  Somer- 
vell Co.,  Texas.  At  the  age  of  eight  he  was  bereft  of  both 
of  his  parents,  and  those,  into  whose  care  he  drifted,  were 
not  willing  he  should  learn  a  letter.  By  some  means  he  at- 
tracted the  favorable  notice  of  Miss  Mary  A.  Pearson,  a 
missionary  of  our  Home  Mission  Board.  Furnishing  him  the 
funds  for  the  trip,  she  sent  him  at  the  age  of  18  in  1903,  to 
Oak  Hill  Academy  with  request  to  become  an  earnest  Chris- 
tian teacher.  At  the  Academy  Mrs.  Mary  R.  Scott  of  Pitts- 
burgh became  his  teacher.  She  taught  him  his  letters  and 
first  lessons  in  spelling  and  reading,  giving  him  consider- 
able time  and  attention,  while  the  other  boys  were  play- 
ing. Perceiving  his  special  fondness  for  music,  she  taught 
him  the  chords  on  the  piano,  and  thus  gave  him  a  start  on 
that  noble  instrument,  which  has  ever  since  been  his  fav- 
orite. 

He  has  always  found  the  study  of  books  a  rather  dif- 
ficult task,  owing  to  the  lack  of  early  training  in  them;  but 
he  has  proved  a  good  student  and  a  very  valuable  helper  at 
the  Academy.  The  longing  desire  to  become  a  capable  and 
successful  teacher,  has  kept  him  there,  amid  all  the  changes 
that  have  occurred  since  his  arrival  in  1903.  He  has  now 
acquired  an  unusual  degree  of  skill  as  a  performer  on  the 
piano  and  his  enthusiastic  accompaniments  on  that  noble 
instrument  contributed  greatly  to  the  pleasure  and  delight 
of  the  work  at  the  Academy.  He  has  become  an  earnest 
worker  in  the  Sunday  school  and  endeavor  meetings.  He 
has  a  strong  voice  for  song  or  public  address,  and  has  be- 
come an  excellent  leader  of  religious  meetings.  He  served 
one  year  as  an  assistant  teacher  at  the  Academy.    He  has 


TRIBUTES  TO  THE  WORKERS  323 

proved  himself  a  very  efficient  and  valuable  helper  at  the 
Academy,  always  looking  after  the  entertainment  of  vis- 
itors. 

In  1912  he  was  ordained  an  elder  of  the  Oak  Hill  church 
and  in  May  of  that  year  was  sent  as  one  of  the  commission- 
ers of  the  Presbytery  of  Kiamichi,  to  the  general  assembly 
at  Louisville,  Ky.  Through  the  courtesy  of  Rev.  E.  G.  Hay- 
maker, he  spent  the  summer  of  1903  at  Winona  Lake,  Ind. 
He  is  now  serving,  as  superintendent  of  the  farm  work  and 
musical  instructor,  at  the  Bethesda  Home  and  school  at 
Wynnewood,  Okla. 

The  boy  who  wins  is, 

"Not  the  one  who  says,  'I  can't'; 
Nor  the  one  who  says,  'Don't  care ;' 
Not  the  boy  who  shirks  his  work, 
Nor  the  one  who  plays  unfair. 
But  the  one  who  says,  'I  can', 
And  the  one  who  says,  'I  will;' 
He  shall  be  the  noble  man, 
He  the  place  of  trust  will  fill." 

STUDENT  WORKERS 

These  tributes  to  worthy  workers  seem  incomplete, 
without  some  reference  to  the  faithful  co-operation  of  some 
of  the  young  people,  who,  making  rapid  progress  in  their 
studies  and  industrial  training,  during  the  later  years  of 
this  period,  and  serving  efficiently  as  workers,  foremen  and 
occasional  teachers,  made  possible  the  large  amount  of  im- 
provement work  necessary  to  overcome  the  losses  sustained. 
The  memory  recalls  the  names  of  the  following  students, 
whose  responsible  and  efficient  co-operation  was  thus 
worthy  of  grateful  mention. 

Occasional  Teachers  and  Leaders:  Paul  Thornton, 
Vina  Jones,  Delia  Clark*,  Isabella  Monroe,  Ruby  Moore*, 

*Deceased. 


324  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Virginia  Wofford,  Sarah  Milton,  Celestine  Seats,  Solomon 
Buchanan,  Riley  Flournoy,  Clarence  and  Herbert  Peete. 

Carpenters  and  Cement  Workers:  David  Folsom*, 
Solomon  Burris,  Louis  and  Alvin  Pitchlin,  Isaiah  Nelson, 
Clarence  Peete,  Noah  Alverson,  Riley  Flournoy,  Fred  and 
Percy  McFarland,  Thomas  Wilson,  George  Hollingsworth, 
Frank  Dickson,  Ashley  and  Alonza  McLellan  and  Brown 
Gaffony.* 

Painters:  Solomon  Buchanan,  Frank  Dickson,  John 
Black,  Eugene  Perry,  Wesley  Lewis,  Herbert  Peete  and 
Cornell  Smith. 

Farmers  and  Trustworthy  Teamsters :  James  Stewart, 
James  Burris,  James  Richards,  Dee  McFarland,  Robert 
Johnson,  Robert  Maxie,  S.  S.  Bibbs,  and  Everett  Richards. 


♦Deceased. 


XL 


CLOSING  DAY,  1912 

ELLIOTT  HALL  DEDICATED.  —  CONCERT.  —  RESOLUTIONS.— 
STUDENTS  AFFECTION.  —  FAREWELL  NOTE. 

>HE  following  account,  of  the  closing  day  of 
our  last  term  of  school,  is  taken  from  the 
last  issue  of  the  Oak  Hill  Freedman's 
Friend,  a  news-letter,  intended  to  promote 
the  interests  of  the  Academy,  and  sent  to 
its  patrons  and  friends  as  a  quarterly  at  first,  but  later  as 
an  annual,  from  February  1905,  to  September  1912. 

CLOSING  DAY,  1912 

June  13,  1912,  was  a  day  of  unusual  interest.  It  was 
the  last  day  of  the  last  term  of  school,  under  the  manage- 
ment of  the  superintendent,  and  the  contemplation  of  this 
fact  frequently  suggested  a  thought  of  sadness,  since  it 
meant  the  last  meeting  with  many  friends  and  co-workers. 

It  was  also  the  second  day  set  for  the  dedication  of  El- 
liott Hall,  and  the  third  day  announced  for  a  visit  and  ad- 
dress by  Rev.  Phil  C.  Baird,  D.  D., pastor  of  the  First  Pres- 
byterian church  of  Oklahoma  City.  His  leading  and  unus- 
ually happy  participation  in  the  events  of  the  day,  made  his 
visit  and  services  on  this  occasion  thrice  welcome  and  valu- 
able. 

At  2:00  p.  m.  Dr.  Baird  delivered  the  principal  address 
to  a  large  and  very  appreciative  audience  in  the  Academy. 
He  chose  for  his  theme,  The  Essentials  of  Success ;  and  em- 

(325) 


326  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

phasized  these  three,  namely  "Labor,  purpose  and  persever- 
ance." 

ELLIOTT  HALL  DEDICATED 

At  the  close  of  the  address  of  Dr.  Baird,  the  meeting 
was  transferred  to  the  cozy  and  spacious  front  porch  of  El- 
liott Hall. 

The  story  of  the  Hall  as  a  grateful  and  permanently 
useful  memorial  of  the  late  Alice  Lee  Elliott,  and  the  gen- 
erous gift  of  $5,000.00  on  the  part  of  her  surviving  husband, 
David  Elliott  of  Lafayette,  Indiana,  now  at  Minneapolis, 
Minn.,  was  briefly  related  by  the  superintendent.  Rev.  W.  H. 
Carroll  reported  that  voluntary  offerings  to  the  amount  of 
$29.48  had  that  day  been  donated  toward  the  expense  of  fur- 
nishing the  two  bath  rooms.  The  prayer  of  dedication  was 
offered  by  Rev.  Wiley  Homer  of  Grant,  who  has  been  a 
faithful  annual  visitor  and  constant  guardian  of  the  good 
name  and  welfare  of  the  institution  ever  since  it  was  found- 
ed in  1886.  The  benediction  was  pronounced  by  Rev.  P.  S. 
Meadows  of  Shawneetown,  moderator  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Kiamichi. 

CLOSING  CONCERT 

The  program  provided  for  the  evening  consisted  of  a 
vocal  and  instrumental  concert  by  the  students,  such  as  had 
been  given,  with  one  exception,  at  the  close  of  each  term. 
Several  of  the  selections,  rendered  as  full  choruses,  were 
from  Leslie's  Ideal  Class,  the  music  book  most  frequently 
used  by  the  superintendent  in  the  training  work  of  note  read- 
ing and  vocal  culture.  They  included  the  anthems,  "Break 
forth  into  Joy,"  "I  was  Glad,"  by  I.  B.  Woodbury,  "Before 
Jehovah's  Throne,"  and  patriotic  Glees,  "Hail  to  the  Flag," 
"Now  a  Mighty  Nation,"  and  "Unfurl  the  Sail." 


DLOSING  DAY,  1912  327 

When  the  time  arrived  to  announce  the  closing  chorus, 
the  superintendent,  after  expressing  appreciation  of  the  fact 
there  were  present  so  many  ministers  of  the  Presbytery, 
patrons  and  friends;  and  gratitude  for  their  constant  co- 
operation, then  made  known  to  them,  for  the  first  time,  the 
fact  that  several  months  previous  he  had  tendered  his  resig- 
nation to  the  Board  of  Missions  for  Freedmen,  and  that  in 
due  season,  Rev.  W.  H.  Carroll,  the  principal,  would  be  pro- 
moted to  fill  the  vacancy,  when  it  occurred. 

After  hearing  these  announcements,  every  minister 
present  manifested  a  desire  to  participate  in  the  meeting,  by 
bearing  voluntary  testimony  to  the  good  work  that  had  been 
done  at  the  Academy  under  the  leadership  of  the  superinten- 
dent. Rev.  Dr.  Baird  was  the  first  speaker,  and  he  acted  as  a 
leader  or  chairman  during  this  temporary  interruption  of 
the  program.  He  bore  testimony  to  his  previous  knowledge 
of  the  faithfulness  and  administrative  ability  of  the  sup- 
erintendent, and  his  pleasant  surprise  at  the  results  achieved 
at  this  institution.  Grateful  tributes  to  the  efficiency  of  his 
work,  as  superintendent  of  the  Academy,  were  then  ex- 
pressed by  Rev.  Wiley  Homer  of  Grant,  Rev.  T.  K.  Bridges 
of  Lukfata,  Rev.  P.  S.  Meadows  and  Rev.  W.  H.  Carroll. 

Rev.  W.  J.  Starks  of  Frogville  read  and  presented  for 
adoption  the  appreciative  resolutions  that  follow: 

Their  unanimous  adoption  by  a  rising  vote  was  im- 
mediately followed  by  a  general  waving  of  handkerchiefs,  a 
touching  expression  of  good  wishes  and  parting  cheer. 

RESOLUTIONS 

Whereas  the  Rev.  R.  E.  Flickinger,  our  beloved  super- 
intendent and  friend,  has  announced  his  resignation  as  sup- 
erintendent of  Oak  Hill  Industrial  Academy,  now  Alice  Lee 
Elliott  School;  and  whereas  such  resignation  has  come  to 
us  at  a  very  unexpected  time;  We,  citizens  of  the  neigh- 


328  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

borhood,  patrons,  students  and  teachers  of  the  Academy, 
and  members  present  of  the  Presbytery  of  Kiamichi,  do  here- 
by unite  in  adopting  the  following  resolutions: 

First.  That  the  announcement  of  his  resignation 
brings  to  us  profound  grief  and  disappointment,  as  it  takes 
from  among  us  a  friend  and  brother  bound  to  us  by  many 
unusual  and  lasting  ties. 

Second.  That  we  lose  in  Rev.  R.  E.  Flickinger,  the 
founder  of  the  new  and  the  real  Oak  Hill  Industrial  Institu- 
tion, through  the  accomplishment  of  the  following  achieve- 
ments, during  his  administration: 

When  he  re-opened  the  doors  of  this  academy  seven 
and  a  half  years  ago,  it  had  been  closed  for  the  year,  and 
for  months  there  seemed  to  be  but  little  prospect  it  would 
be  opened  again.  The  evidences  of  neglect,  decay  and  deser- 
tion were  manifest  on  every  hand.  Under  his  magic  hand 
the  school  was  re-opened,  only  a  few  students  were  enrolled 
the  first  term,  but  the  piles  of  rubbish  in  every  corner,  and 
underbrush  began  to  disappear,  and  one  of  the  buildings  was 
neatly  painted  by  the  boys.  At  this  time  the  Board  did  not 
own  the  land  on  which  the  buildings  were  located.  After  the 
removal  of  the  restrictions  in  1908,  the  title  to  one  small 
tract  was  promptly  secured  by  purchase.  A  dozen  other 
adjoining  little  tracts  have  since  been  added  to  this  first  one, 
as  their  purchase  became  possible  and  at  their  virgin  price ; 
so  that  now  there  belongs  to  this  school,  as  a  means  of  pro- 
moting its.  local  support,  the  magnificent  domain  of  270  acres 
of  beautiful  and  valuable  tillable  lands  of  which  about  one- 
third  is  now  cleared,  enclosed  and  under  cultivation. 

"Enlargement  and  Permanent  Improvement,"  became 
the  watchwords  of  progress,  when  the  title  to  the  second 
tract  was  secured.  Upon  this  stable  material  basis  there 
has  been  systematically  organized  and  developed  an  import- 
ant Industrial  institution,  where  boys  and  girls  are  trained 
not  only  in  the  great  fundamentals  of  the  best  intellectual 
and  moral  culture,  but  also  in  the  essential  industrial  arts 
of  life. 

The  accomplishment  of  these  results  has  cost  the  sup- 
erintendent an  indescribable  amount  of  toil  and  labor.  His 
great  staying  powers  and  ingenuity  were  taxed  to  their  ut- 
most, when,  in  quick  succession,  the  two  largest  buildings 
were  suddenly  destroyed  by  unexpected  fires,  that  left  noth- 
ing but  ashes  and  discouraged  friends.  The  testimony  that 
he  has  proved  himself  capable  of  overcoming  these  stag- 
gering losses  appears  in  the  temporary  Boys  Hall,  an  addi- 


CLOSING  DAY,  1912  329 

tion  to  the  Academy  building  after  the  first  fire  in  1908,  and 
in  the  large  and  commodious  new  building,  bearing  the  name 
"Elliott  Hall"  of  which  he  enjoys  the  honor  of  having  been 
its  architect  and  builder,  through  the  labors  of  the  students 
and  the  teachers  of  the  academy ;  and,  in  this  creditable  stu- 
dent body  of  well  trained  young  people. 

Third.  In  grateful  recognition  of  his  unusual  patience 
and  perseverance,  his  unceasing  toil  and  never  failing  inter- 
est, his  self  denying  generosity  and  for  his  noble,  manly  ex- 
emplary christian  life,  we  tender  to  him  our  heartfelt  last- 
ing gratitude;  and,  enrolling  his  name  among  the  worthy 
founders  of  Oak  Hill  Industrial  Academy,  shall  enshrine  it 
as  one  to  be  given  to  children's  children,  as  the  educator  and 
organizer,  who  infused  new  life  into  this  institution  and 
greatly  enlarged  the  scope  of  its  work. 

Fourth.  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  sent  to  the 
Board  of  Freedmen,  to  the  Interior,  The  Valliant  Tribune 
and  the  Times,  Fonda,  Iowa. 

PHIL.  C.  BAIRD, 

Chairman  of  Meeting. 

A  TOKEN  OF  AFFECTION  AND  REGARD  FROM  THE 

STUDENTS 
Dear  Superintendent: 

I  have  been  requested  by  the  boys  of  this  institution, 
to  offer  you  a  slight  token  of  our  affection  and  regard.  I 
cannot  tell  you  how  delighted  I  am  to  be  the  means  of  con- 
veying to  you  this  expression  of  our  united  love.  What  we 
offer  you  is  a  poor  symbol  of  our  feelings,  but  we  know  you 
will  receive  it  kindly  as  a  simple  indication  of  the  attach- 
ment, which  each  one  of  us  cherishes  for  you  in  our  hearts. 

You  have  made  our  days  and  months  pleasant  to  us.  We 
know  that  we  have  often  tried  your  patience  and  forbear- 
ance, but  you  have  dealt  gently  with  us  in  all  our  wayward- 
ness; teaching  us  by  example  as  well  as  precept,  the  ad- 
vantages of  magnanimity  and  self  control. 

We  will  never  forget  you.  We  shall  look  back  to  this 
institution  in  after  life;  and,  whenever  memory  recalls  our 
school  days,  our  hearts  will  warm  toward  you  as  they  do 
today. 

I  have  been  requested  by  my  school  mates,  not  to 
address  you  formally,  but  as  a  beloved  and  respected  friend. 
In  that  light,  Dear  Superintendent,  we  will  regard  you. 

Please  accept  our  good  wishes.    May  you  always  be  as 


330  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

happy  as  you  have  endeavored  to  make  your  pupils;  and 
may  they — nothing  better  could  be  wished  them — be  al- 
ways as  faithful  to  their  duties  to  others,  as  you  have  been 
in  your  duties  to  them. 

Very  truly  yours, 

W.  RILEY  FLOURNOY. 
In  behalf  of  the  boys  of  Oak  Hill  Academy. 

An  expression  of  gratitude  from  Simon  Folsom,  an 
elder  of  the  Forest  church,  who  gave  us  very  cordial  co-op- 
eration, and  whose  voice,  ringing  with  pleading  eloquence 
and  words  of  glad  encouragement  to  the  students,  was  fre- 
quently heard  at  the  Endeavor  meetings  or  morning  ser- 
vices, by  the  young  people  during  term  time: 

Dear  Sir:  I  want  to  thank  you  for  your  interest,  help 
and  work  among  my  people.  I  feel  that  you  have  done  us 
a  great  service  here.  It  is  my  prayer  that  God  will  reward 
you  in  time  for  all  your  services  in  labor,  thought  and  in- 
terest. This  is  the  plea  of  one  whom  you  have  been  serv- 
ing. 

July  21,  1912.  A  Friend, 

SIMON  FOLSOM. 

FRUIT  BULLETIN 

The  superintendent  continued  to  have  charge  of  the 
improvement  and  other  work  of  the  Academy  and  farm,  un- 
til the  first  of  October ;  publishing  in  the  mean  time  the  last 
issue  of  the  Freedman's  Friend  in  September;  and,  remain- 
ing during  the  month  of  October,  prepared  and  published  a 
bulletin  entitled,  "Approved  Fruits  for  Southern  Oklahoma." 

The  aim  of  the  author,  in  preparing  and  publishing  this 
fruit  bulletin,  was  to  furnish  a  short  and  reliable  text  book 
on  horticulture,  for  use  in  the  Academy ;  and  to  supply  the 
patrons  of  the  institution,  the  information  they  were  need- 
ing, to  enable  them  to  secure,  when  making  their  first  in- 
vestments, profitable  early,  medium  and  late,  fruit-bearing 
varieties  of  trees  for  a  small  home  orchard  on  their  respec- 
tive allotments. 


CLOSING  DAY,  1912  331 

FAREWELL 
The  farewell  words  of  the  superintendent,  briefly  sum- 
marized, appeared  as  follows  in  the  last  issue  of  the  Freed- 
man's  Friend : 

With  the  sending  forth  of  this  issue  of  the  Oak  Hill 
Freedman's  Friend,  Rev.  R.  E.  Flickinger  lays  aside  the 
mantle  of  service,  as  superintendent  of  the  Academy  and 
Farm,  and  cordially  commends  Rev.  W.  H.  Carroll,  his  suc- 
cessor, to  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  the  patrons  and 
friends  of  the  institution. 

The  opportunity  afforded  here  during  the  last  eight 
years,  to  engage  in  the  educational  work  among  the  colored 
people  of  our  beloved  land,  has  been  the  realization  of  an 
earnest  desire  awakened  in  the  early  part  of  our  ministry, 
but  not  expressed  until  the  opening  occurred  at  this  place. 
The  silent  but  deeply  impressive  cry  of  need,  the  golden 
opportunity  to  lay  the  foundation  for  the  organization  and 
development  of  an  important  Industrial  Educational  Insti- 
tution in  this  new  section  of  country,  and  the  cordial  co-op- 
eration of  local  ministers,  teachers,  patrons  and  friends,  have 
combined  to  make  this  work  throughout,  intensely  inter- 
esting. 

It  has  enlisted  our  noblest  and  best  powers  of  mind, 
heart  and  hand.  The  constant  probability  that  our  term 
of  service  would  at  best  be  brief,  and  the  desire  to  accom- 
plish the  greatest  possible  results,  have  proved  an  incentive 
to  incessant  industry.  When  difficulties  increased,  they 
served  as  a  signal  to  go  forward  more  earnestly. 

We  have  done  what  we  could  to  add  our  mite,  most  ef- 
fectively, to  the  great  educational  work  needed  in  this 
south  land.  That  which  has  been  done,  has  been  due  to  the 
constant  and  cordial  co-operation  of  our  Board  of  Missions 
for  Freedmen,  and  of  the  immediate  patrons  and  friends  of 
the  institution.  It  remains,  that  we  express  to  you  all  our 
lasting  gratitude,  for  your  cordial  co-operation,  and  for  the 
present,  say,  Farewell ! 

"God  bless  you,  till  we  meet  again." 
Very  truly, 

R.  E.  FLICKINGER. 


PART  III 
HISTORY 

...OF  THE... 

PRL5BYTLRY  OF  KIAMICHI 

...AND  THE... 

5YNOD  OF  CANADIAN 


"My  church  is  the  place,  where  the  Word  of  God  is 
preached,  the  power  of  God  is  felt,  the  Spirit  of  God  is  man- 
ifested and  the  unity  of  God  is  perceived. 

"There,  I  am  to  meet  my  Saviour,  to  meditate  on  his  re- 
demption, to  listen  to  his  commands,  to  bow  in  reverence 
before  him,  to  pray  for  his  guidance,  to  sing  his  praise,  to 
ask  for  his  help,  and  to  sit  quietly  in  his  house. 

"It  is  the  home  of  my  soul,  the  altar  of  my  devotion, 
the  hearth  of  my  faith,  the  center  of  my  affections  and  the 
foretaste  of  heaven. 

"I  have  united  with  it  in  solemn  covenant,  pledging 
myself  to  attend  its  services,  to  pray  for  its  members,  to 
give  to  its  support,  to  obey  its  laws,  to  protect  its  name,  to 
reverence  its  building,  to  honor  its  officers  and  to  main- 
tain its  permanence. 

"It  claims  the  principal  place  in  my  activities,  and  its 
unity,  peace  and  progress,  concern  my  life  in  this  world  and 
that  which  is  to  come." — F.  Hyatt  Smith, 


XLI 

THE  PRESBYTERY  OF  KIAMICHI 

CONSTITUTED  IN  1896.— ORGANIZED  AT  GRANT.— BOUNDARY 
ENLARGED  IN  1907.— REPORT  IN  1913.— GROWTH,  1868  TO 
1913.— DEARTH  OF  MINISTERS.— FAVORITE  SONS.— NEW 
ERA. 

"Neglect  not  the  gift  which  was  given  thee,  with  the 
laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  Presbytery." — Paul. 

i^^xf^/f'HE  ministers  and  group  of  churches,  that 
y(  first  formed  the  Presbytery  of  Kiamichi,  be- 


longed originally  to  the  Presbytery  of  Choc- 
taw; which  included  the  territory  allotted 
in  1832  to  the  Choctaw  Nation,  comprising 
the  southeast  one-fourth  of  Indian  Territory,  after  the  es- 
tablishment of  Oklahoma  Territory  in  1890. 

CONSTITUTED  BY  SYNOD 
The  Synod  of  Indian  Territory,  at  the  meeting  held  at 
South  McAlester,  Oct.  22-25,  1896,  in  response  to  an  over- 
ture for  division  from  the  Presbytery  of  Choctaw,  estab- 
lished the  new  Presbytery  by  the  adoption  of  the  following 
resolutions : 

1st.  That  the  Choctaw  Presbytery  be  divided  into  two 
Presbyteries,  according  to  the  following  geographical 
boundaries:  First,  beginning  at  Durant  on  the  M.  K.  &  T. 
Railroad,  east  on  the  34th  parallel  to  the  Arkansas  line, 
thence  South  to  the  Texas  line,  thence  west  with  the  Texas 
line  (Red  river)  to  the  M.  K.  &  T.  Railroad,  thence  north 
with  the  M.  K.  &  T.  Railroad  to  Durant,  the  starting  point ; 
this  Presbytery  to  be  known  as  the  Presbytery  of  Tuskaloo- 
sa,  and  to  embrace  the  following  churches  now  within  its 
bounds:  St.  Paul,  Oak  Hill,  Bethany,  Forest,  Beaver  Dam, 
Hebron,  Sandy  Branch,  New  Hope,  Oak  Grove  and  Mt.  Gilead 

(335) 


336  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

— 10 ;  and  to  embrace  the  following  ministers,  now  members 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Choctaw:  Rev.  E.  G.  Haymaker,  (white) 
Rev.  E.  B.  Evans,  (white)  Rev.  Wiley  Homer,  Rev.  J.  H. 
Sleeper,  and  Rev.  Samuel  Gladman — 5. 

2nd.  That  the  Presbytery  of  Tuskaloosa  meet  at  Beav- 
er Dam  (Grant)  on  the  Saturday  before  the  third  Sabbath 
in  November,  1896,  at  11  o'clock  a.  m.  and  be  opened  with  a 
sermon  by  Rev.  E.  G.  Haymaker,  or  in  his  absence,  by  the 
oldest  minister  present,  who  shall  preside  until  a  new  Mod- 
erator is  elected." 

ORGANIZED  AT  GRANT 

The  first  meeting  of  this  new  Presbytery  was  held  at 
Grant,  in  the  Beaver  Dam  church  of  which  Rev.  Wiley 
Homer  was  pastor,  Nov.  14-16,  1896,  seven  months  after 
the  death  of  Parson  Stewart,  who  had  organized  and  devel- 
oped all  these  churches.  The  meeting  was  opened  with  a 
sermon  by  Rev.  Edward  G.  Haymaker,  superintendent  of 
Oak  Hill  Academy,  Clear  Creek ;  and  he  was  chosen  to  serve 
as  the  first  stated  clerk.  The  first  annual  report,  April  1, 
1897,  showed  an  enrollment  of  5  ministers,  11  churches  and 
292  communicant  members.  The  name  of  the  Choctaw 
church  at  Wheelock,  Garvin,  P.  0.  was  included  in  this  re- 
port, and  Richard  D.  Colbert  was  enrolled  as  a  licentiate  and 
appointed  stated  supply  of  New  Hope  and  Sandy  Branch 
churches. 

The  name  given  this  new  Presbytery,  which  was  the 
name  of  a  county  and  county  seat  town  in  Alabama,  was  not 
entirely  satisfactory  to  those,  who  were  included  in  it ;  and  in 
making  their  first  report  to  synod  in  the  fall  of  1897,  they  re- 
quested the  name  be  changed  to  Mountain  Fork,  the  name 
of  a  branch  of  Little  river,  that  flows  from  the  east  end  of 
Kiamichi  mountain.  While  this  matter  was  under  discus- 
sion at  synod  the  name  of  the  principal  river  flowing  through 
the  bounds  of  the  Presbytery,  "Kiamichi,"  (Ki  a  mish  ee) 
signifying  "Where  you  going,"  was  suggested  by  Rev.  Wiley 


THE  PRESBYTERY  OF  KIAMICHI  337 

Homer;  and  it  was  approved  both  by  the  Synod  and  Pres- 
bytery. 

The  roll  of  the  Presbytery,  at  the  time  of  its  first  re- 
port in  the  spring  of  1897,  included  two  Choctaw  churches, 
namely,  Oak  Grove  at  Grant,  and  Wheelock,  having"  5  and 
70  members  respectively.  During  this  year  Oak  Grove  was 
disbanded  and  dropped;  and  Wheelock,  becoming  vacant, 
was  transferred  to  the  Presbytery  of  Choctaw ;  Rev.  Evan  B. 
Evans,  its  last  pastor,  having  gone  to  Mulhall,  in  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Oklahoma.  Bethany,  a  colored  church  previous- 
ly reported  as  having  9  members  was  also  dropped.  These 
changes  reduced  the  Presbytery  to  one  consisting  entirely 
of  colored  churches  and  of  colored  ministers,  with  the  single 
exception  of  Rev.  E.  G.  Haymaker,  superintendent  of  Oak 
Hill  Academy,  who  was  engaged  in  the  educational  work 
among  them. 

The  annual  report  for  1898,  the  first  one  under  the  new 
name,  "Kiamichi"  that  included  only  colored  churches, 
shows  that  the  Presbytery  then  consisted  of  4  ministers,  E. 
G.  Haymaker,  Wiley  Homer,  John  H.  Sleeper  and  Samuel 
Gladman;  2  licentiates,  William  Butler  and  R.  D.  Colbert; 
and  8  churches,  Oak  Hill,  40;  Mount  Gilead,  25;  Saint  Paul, 
14;  Beaver  Dam,  34;  Hebron,  13;  New  Hope,  25;  Sandy 
Branch,  16;  and  Forest,  20;  having  187  members  and  248 
Sunday  school  members. 

BOUNDARY  ENLARGED 

In  May  1907,  when  the  General  Assembly  at  Columbus, 
Ohio,  united  and  rearranged  the  synods  and  Presbyteries  of 
the  Presbyterian  and  Cumberland  churches,  after  the  union 
of  their  Assemblies  at  Des  Moines  the  previous  year,  the 
boundary  of  the  Presbytery  of  Kiamichi  was  defined  as 
follows : 


338 


CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 


The  Presbytery  of  Kiamichi  shall  consist  of  all  minis- 
ters and  churches  of  the  Negro  race  in  that  part  of  the  synod 
of  Oklahoma,  lying  south  of  the  south  Canadian  river,  and 
south  of  the  Arkansas  river,  below  the  point  of  confluence 
of  these  two  rivers."    Min.  G.  A.  1907,  214. 

The  north  half  of  Oklahoma  was  included  in  the  Presby- 
tery of  Rendall,  then  established  and  two  men  Rev.  Burr 
Williams  and  Rev.  David  J.  Wallace,  who  had  been  mem- 
bers of  Kiamichi,  since  1899  were  transferred  to  it. 

In  1910  the  colored  Presbyterian  ministers  and 
churches  in  east  Texas  were  added  to  the  Presbytery  of 
Kiamichi.  These  included  Rev.  J.  A.  Loving,  M.  D.,  and  the 
Mount  Zion  church,  at  Jacksonville,  Texas;  and  Rev.  J.  M. 
McKellar  and  the  Mount  Olivet  church  at  Rusk,  Texas. 

ANNUAL  REPORT  IN  1913 

In  1913,  the  Presbytery  included  14  ministers  and  16 
churches  as  follows : 


Minister 

Address 

Church 

m 

DD 
U 

X) 

m 
u 
o 

_J3 

u  w 
II 

1 

s 

0) 

•Sit! 

£ 
«H 

a 

s 

M§ 

SO 

w 

Wiley  Homer,  H.  R. 

Grant,  Okla. 

Robert  E.  Flickinger,  H.  R. 

Rockwell  City,  Iowa 

x  Samuel  Gladman,  Ev. 

Eufaula,  Okla. 

Thomas  K.  Bridges 

Lukfata,  Okla. 

Mt.  Gilead 

2 

26 

25 

$  13 

$  25 

William  Butler 

Eagletown,  Okla. 

St.  Paul 

4 

27 

38 

8 

98 

Millerton,  Okla. 

Forest 

3 

13 

17 

3 

25 

Lukfata,  Okla. 

Pleasant  Valley  2 

27 

37 

8 

15 

Richard  D.  Colbert 

Grant,  Okla. 

Hebron 

2 

19 

15 

8 

12 

William  J.  Starks 

Garvin,  Okla. 

Garvin 

3 

30 

57 

11 

190 

William  H.  Carroll 

Valliant,  Okla. 

Oak  Hill 

3 

69 

85 

55 

78 

Noah  S.  Alverson 

Griffin.  Okla. 

Ebenezer 

1 

12 

13 

4 

Plant  S.  Meadows 

Shawneetown,  Okla. 

Mt.  Pleasant 

2 

8 

10 

3 

Millerton,  Okla. 

Bethany 

3 

23 

30 

10 

!0 

Samuel  J.  Onque 

Grant,  Okla. 

Beaver  Dam 

4 

41 

55 

10 

53 

Julius  W.  Mallard 

Frogville,  Okla. 

New  Hope 

3 

26 

59 

11 

24 

Frogville,  Okla. 

Sandy  Branch 
Pleasant  Hill,  •« 

2 

29 
4 

37 

6 

30 

J.  A.  Loving 

Jacksonville,  TexaB 

Mt.  Zion 

3 

28 

45 

14 

J.  M.  McKeller    -14 

Rusk,  Texas 

Mt.  Olivet  -16  1 

18 

60 

6 

38 

400 

583 

$170 

$560 

x    Died,  Eufaula,  January  8,  1913,  at  65. 


THE  PRESBYTERY  OF  KIAMICHI  339 

These  churches  now  represent  38  elders ;  400  members, 
and  583  Sunday  school  members.  They  contributed  $180.00 
to  our  Missionary  Boards  and  $560.00,  towards  self-support. 

At  the  next  meeting  of  the  synod  in  the  fall  of  1913, 
the  two  ministers  and  churches  in  Texas  were  transferred 
to  the  Presbytery  of  White  River,  Arkansas. 

Other  ministers  and  churches,  that  have  been  enrolled 
as  members  or  a  part  of  this  Presbytery,  and  their  names 
have  not  yet  been  mentioned,  were  as  follows: 

Rev.  Thomas  C.  Ogburn,  who  in  1890  and  1891  served 
Beaver  Dam,  New  Hope  and  Hebron. 

Rev.  William  G.  Ogburn,  who  in  1890,  served  Saint  Paul 
and  Mount  Gilead. 

Rev.  Burr  Williams,  who  from  1899  to  1902  served  Con- 
well  chapel  at  Springvale,  and  from  1902  to  1903,  served 
Mount  Zion  at  Monger,  O.  T. 

Rev.  David  J.  Wallace,  Langston,  in  1899,  and  in  1906 
at  Okmulgee,  Ok.  Ter. 

Rev.  Hugh  L.  Harry,  New  Hope  at  Frogville  in  1904 
and  1905. 

SUCCESSION  OF  STATED  CLERKS 

Edward  G.  Haymaker.  Clear  Creek,  Nov.  14,  1896-1903. 
John  H.  Sleeper,  Frogville,  1903-1904. 

Thompson  K.  Bridges,  Lukfata,  1904-1906. 

Samuel  Gladman,  Millerton  1906-1910. 

William  J.  Starks,  Garvin,  1910-1914. 

EXHIBIT  OF  GROWTH,  1868  TO  1913 
The  following  exhibit  shows  the  comparative  growth 
of  the  work  among  the  colored  people  of  the  Choctaw  nation 
in  Indian  Territory,  the  summaries  commencing  with  the 
results  of  the  work  as  left  by  Parson  Charles  W.  Stewart, 
when  he  was  honorably  retired  from  further  active  service 


340 


CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 


among  the  churches,  on  account  of  the  infirmities  of  age, 
in  1890,  from  Beaver  Dam,  New  Hope,  Hebron,  St.  Paul, 
and  Mount  Gilead,  and  in  1893,  from  Oak  Hill  and  Forest. 
The  report  for  1898  is  the  first  one  of  the  new  Presbytery 
of  Kiamichi  to  include  only  colored  churches. 


Church 

Address 

Stewart 

Date  of 

Members  in 

began 

organi- 

1890 

1893 

1898 

1913 

services 

zation 

Beaver  Dam 

Grant 

1874 

1881 

15 

34 

41 

Hebron 

Messer 

1868 

1872 

12 

13 

19 

New  Hope 

Frogville 

1869 

1872 

38 

25 

26 

St.  Paul 

Eagletown 

1877 

1878 

18 

14 

27 

Mt.  Gilead 

Lukfata 

1883 

1885 

25 

25 

26 

Oak  Hill 

Valliant 

1868 

1869 

30 

40 

69 

Forest 

Millerton 

1885 

1887 

7 

20 

13 

Sandy  Branch 

Sawyer 

1895 

16 

29 

Ebenezer 

Griffin 

1903 

12 

Bethany 

Millerton 

1904 

23 

Garvin 

Garvin 

1905 

30 

Pleasant  Valley  Lukfata 

1906 

27 

Mount  Pleasant  Shawneetown 

1906 

8 

Pleasant  Hill 

tal  in  Oklahoma 

4 

To 

108  (145)  37 

187 

354 

Mount  Zion 

Jacksonvill 

e,  Texas 

28 

Mount  Olivet 

Rusk,  Texas 

18 

Total  in  Presbj 

rtery 

400 

DEARTH  OF  MINISTERS 

This  exhibit  shows  that  the  membership  of  the  7 
churches,  when  relinquished  by  Parson  Stewart  in  1890  and 
1893,  numbered  145,  and  in  1898,  when  the  Presbytery  under 
the  name  "Kiamichi"  made  its  first  report,  including  only 
colored  churches,  the  number  was  187;  suggesting  a  gain 
of  42  members  by  his  successors  in  8  years.  If,  however, 
the  16  members  at  Sandy  Branch  be  taken  from  the  1898 
column,  it  shows  the  7  churches  served  by  Stewart,  gained 
only  26  members  during  all  those  eight  years. 


THE  PRESBYTERY  OF  KIAMICHI  341 

This  lack  of  growth,  during  this  important  period,  was 
in  great  measure  due  to  the  fact  most  of  the  churches  were 
left  vacant,  during  a  considerable  part  of  that  period.  Thir- 
ty years  had  passed  since  the  people  had  been  accorded  their 
freedom,  but  so  great  had  been  the  lack  of  educational  facil- 
ities, a  sufficient  number  of  acceptable  men,  that  could 
read  and  expound  the  scriptures  profitably  to  others,  could 
not  be  found.  Other  communities  throughout  the  south 
were  experiencing  the  same  need,  and  had  no  young  men  to 
spare  for  these  needy  fields. 

FAVORITE  SONS  BECOME  MINISTERS 

It  devolved  upon  each  community  to  solve  this  prob- 
lem, relating  to  the  supply  of  ministers,  by  encouraging  their 
own  brightest  and  best  boys  to  train  for  the  ministry.  That 
was  the  way  this  problem  had  to  be  solved  by  the  Choctaw 
Freedmen  in  the  south  part  of  Indian  Territory. 

While  the  native  young  men  were  under  training,  and 
the  churches  were  vacant,  the  services  had  to  be  maintain- 
ed by  the  elders  and  most  capable  women;  and  they  de- 
serve great  credit  for  their  faithfulness  and  efficiency  in 
maintaining  them  from  year  to  year. 

The  church,  that  during  this  period  made  the  great- 
est gain — 13  members — was  Beaver  Dam,  the  one  that  was 
first  to  furnish  from  its  own  membership,  an  acceptable  and 
capable  minister  for  its  own  pulpit,  by  commending  Wiley 
Homer  for  licensure  in  1894,  when  he  was  appointed  the 
stated  supply  for  that  church  and  Hebron. 

In  1897  the  same  church  presented  Richard  D.  Colbert, 
another  of  its  sons  for  licensure  that  he  might  take  charge 
of  the  church  at  Frogville  and  Sandy  Branch. 

Eagletown  presented  William  Butler,  as  their  favorite 


342  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

son,  for  licensure;  and  beginning  then,  he  is  still  serving 
that  church  and  Forest. 

In  1905,  Ebenezer  church  at  Griffin  presented  Noah  S. 
Alverson  for  licensure,  and  beginning  then,  he  is  still  faith- 
fully serving  that  field. 

In  1905,  Mount  Gilead  church  at  Lukfata  presented  for 
licensure  John  Richards,  a  youth  of  considerable  promise, 
who  died  at  25,  in  June  1907,  while  pursuing  his  studies 
under  the  superintendent  of  Oak  Hill  Academy. 

Under  the  ministry  of  these  native  youth,  aided  by 
several  others  who  have  joined  them,  the  membership  of 
the  Presbytery  was  increased  from  187  to  350;  or,  nearly 
doubled,  during  the  period  from  1898  to  1913,  and  five  new 
churches  have  been  organized. 

Parson  Stewart,  serving  all  his  seven  churches  life-long 
periods,  and  these  favorite  sons,  following  loyally  and  faith- 
fully in  his  footsteps,  have  greatly  honored  the  permanent 
pastorate,  though  none  of  them  have  ever  been  installed. 
In  this  matter  of  long  pastorates,  these  ministers  and  peo- 
ple have  made  a  record,  worthy  of  the  emulation  of  the 
church  at  large ;  especially  those  congregations  that  seem  to 
take  pride  in  having  "itching  ears"  and  the  consequent 
doom  of  standing  vacant  and  idle  half  the  time,  and  those 
perambulating  ministers,  who  remind  one  of  the  proverb 
of  the  "rolling  stone  that  gathers  no  moss." 

NEW  ERA  REQUIRES  THAT  PREACHERS  BE 
TEACHERS 

On  the  other  hand  it  is  proper  to  note,  that,  commenc- 
ing with  Parson  Stewart  all  of  these  worthy  men  were 
licensed  and  ordained  to  the  full  work  of  the  gospel  min- 
istry, after  taking  a  very  "short  course"  of  educational 
training.    This  was  due  to  the  fact  they  were  needed  to  meet 


THE  PRESBYTERY  OF  KIAMICHI  343 

an  emergency,  an  unexpected  and  unusual  condition,  that 
called  for  immediate  action.  The  extraordinary  call,  these 
men  were  encouraged  to  accept,  came  to  them  during  the 
Territorial  days,  when  there  was  no  adequate  provision  for 
public  education.  They  were  then  abreast  of  their  times,  and 
the  very  best  their  several  communities  could  furnish. 

Now  the  times  are  different.  The  change  came  with  the 
allotment  of  lands  in  1904  and  1905,  followed  by  statehood 
in  1907  and  the  establishment  of  a  public  school  system  im- 
mediately afterwards.  Public  schools  are  now  found  in 
every  community,  where  there  are  a  sufficient  number  of 
pupils  to  justify  the  employment  of  a  teacher.  The  demand 
for  good  teachers  is  now  greater  than  the  supply,  and  with 
passing  years  the  call  will  be  for  better  ones.  There  are 
many  reasons  now,  why  every  candidate  for  licensure  should 
first  prove  himself  to  be  an  acceptable  and  successful  teach- 
er, as  well  as  a  good  speaker.  Teaching  is  now,  and  for 
many  years  will  continue  to  be,  the  secondary  employment 
of  the  colored  minister  in  the  rural  districts.  Recognizing 
that  fact,  every  future  candidate  for  the  ministry  should  be 
animated  with  the  noble  ambition,  to  stand  at  the  front  in 
the  teacher's  profession,  in  order  that  there  may  be  a  con- 
stant demand  for  his  services  as  a  teacher,  in  the  com- 
munity he  serves  as  a  preacher. 

More  ministers  are  needed,  and  promising  young  men, 
in  every  community,  should  be  encouraged  to  train  for  that 
sacred  office.  The  church  is  standing  ready  to  co-operate 
with  them,  in  their  effort  to  secure  a  good  and  thorough 
education,  as  a  fitting  preparation  for  their  future  work. 
"Go  and  teach"  is  a  divine  call  to  a  noble  work,  but  "Go  and 
preach,"  is  recognized  as  a  divine  call  to  a  still  nobler  and 
greater  work,  as  the  Bible  and  its  mission  are  greater  than 


344  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

that  of  any  other  book.  A  greater  work  suggests  the  need 
of  greater  preparation.  The  extraordinary  incidents  of 
the  past  were  not  intended  to  be  regarded  as  precedents,  or 
as  a  rule  for  the  future.  The  time  is  now  at  hand  when  all, 
who  present  themselves  to  the  Presbytery,  before  they 
have  graduated  from  the  Grammar  department,  or  8th  grade 
of  a  well  accredited  school,  should  be  enrolled  and  held 
merely  as  "candidates  for  the  ministry,"  until  they  have 
completed  their  studies  to  that  extent,  before  "licensure  to 
preach"  is  accorded  to  them.  Ordination  should  ordinarily 
be  deferred,  until  the  licentiate  has  completed  the  theologi- 
cal course  prescribed  for  all  in  the  standards  of  the  church. 
Young  men  are  frequently  impatient  to  enter  upon  their 
ministerial  life  work.  They  do  not  always  know,  that  ex- 
pert or  thorough  training  in  youth,  doubles  their  value  in 
the  activities  of  life ;  and  that  this  is  especially  true  of  the 
teacher  and  preacher. 


XLII 

HISTORIES  OF  CHURCHES 

"  I  was  glad  when  they  said  unto  me,  let  us  go  into  the 
House  of  the  Lord." — David. 

"There's  a  church  in  the  valley  by  the  wild-wood 

No  lovelier  spot  in  the  dale ; 

No  place  is  so  dear  to  my  childhood, 

As  the  little  brown  church  in  the  vale." 

BEAVER  DAM  CHURCH 

[^"SxS^J/^HE  early  history  of  the  Beaver  Dam  Pres- 
^T     vL  byterian  church  at  Grant  carries  us  back 


to  the  year  1873,  when  Wiley  Homer,  one 
of  the  enterprising  young  men  of  the  com- 
munity, built  an  arbor  in  the  timber,  and 
held  the  first  religious  meetings  among  the  colored  people 
of  that  neighborhood. 

Parson  C.  W.  Stewart,  of  Doaksville,  the  next  year  held 
occasional  services  in  the  arbor,  and  in  1875  secured  the 
erection  of  the  first  house  of  worship.  It  was  built  of  sap- 
lings, and  at  the  place  previously  occupied  by  the  arbor. 
Wiley  Homer  continued  to  serve  as  leader  of  the  regular 
Sabbath  meetings,  when  the  parson  was  not  present. 

In  1881  the  church  was  organized  with  the  following 
persons  as  original  members: 

Wiley  Homer,  Laney  Homer,  his  wife,  Louisa  Roebuck, 
Martha  Folsom,  Amy  Walton,  Adaline  Shoals,  Rhoda  Lark- 
ins. — 7. 

(345) 


346  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Wiley  Homer  was  the  only  elder  ordained  at  that  time. 
A  year  or  two  later,  Richard  Roebuck,  and  in  1888  Richard 
D.  Colbert  and  Wellington  Bolden  (died  1892)  were  or- 
dained. Wiley  Homer  and  Richard  D.  Colbert  continued  to 
serve  as  elders  until  they  were  ordained  to  the  full  work  of 
the  gospel  ministry  in  1895  and  1903,  respectively. 

The  elders  in  1913  are  as  follows: 

William  Goff,  ordained  1892 

Aaron  Green,  ordained  1894 

Wiley  Brown,  ordained  1912 

Walter  McCulloch,  ordained  1912 

Others  that  served  as  elders  were: 

Nick  Colbert,  1891  to  1894 

Peter  Nolan                    „  1893  to  1896 

Moses  Folsom  1904  till  death,  1912 

The  succession  of  pastors  has  been  as  follows: 

Parson  C.  W.  Stewart,  Doaksville  1874  to  1890,  16  years 
Thomas  C.  Ogburn,  Goodland  1890  to  1892  2  years 
Wiley  Homer,  Grant  1892  to  1912  20  years 

Samuel  J.  Onque,  Grant  1912  to  date  1914 

The  comfortable  and  spacious  chapel,  now  occupied  by 
the  congregation,  was  built  in  1904  during  the  pastorate  of 
Wiley  Homer,  the  God-fearing  cowboy,  who  30  years  before 
had  built  the  arbor  in  the  timber. 

NEW  HOPE  CHURCH  AT  FROGVILLE 

The  New  Hope  Presbyterian  church  at  Frogville, 
Choctaw  county,  was  organized  about  1872  by  Parson 
Charles  W.  Stewart,  who  had  conducted  occasional  services 
in  this  neighborhood  for  some  time  previous. 

The  first  elders  were  Elias  Radford,  who  died  in  1908 
after  36  years  of  faithful  service,  and  James  Pratt,  who, 
after  40  years  of  faithful  official  service,  is  still  living  (1914) 
in  his  own  cozy  cottage  home  near  the  church.  In  the  interest 
of  the  church,  which  is  located  in  the  Oak  forest,  along  Red 


HISTORIES  OF  CHURCHES  347 

river  southeast  of  Hugo,  and  still  fifteen  miles  from  rail- 
way, he  has  from  the  first  been  the  principal  host,  to  re- 
ceive and  entertain  the  Frogville  circuit-riders,  as  in  the 
days  of  Stewart  and  Homer ;  and  provided  rooms  in  his  own 
home  for  the  resident  ministers  as  in  the  days  of  Sleeper, 
Harry  and  Starks.  When  the  Presbytery  meets  at  Frog- 
ville, he  generously  plans  to  entertain  about  one  half  the 
people  that  are  present  from  a  distance.  The  good  he  has 
already  accomplished,  by  his  faithful,  life-long  service  in  the 
church  and  Sunday  school,  make  him  worthy  to  be  long 
and  gratefully  remembered,  as  one  of  the  noblest  and  most 
generous  benefactors  in  the  community  in  which  he  lives. 

Others  that  have  been  ordained  and  are  still  serving  as 
ruling  elders  in  this  church  are  Willis  Buffington,  ordained 
Sept.  7, 1902 ;  and  Garfield  Pratt,  son  of  James,  April  9, 1911. 

The  succession  of  pastors  of  the  New  Hope  church  has 
been  as  follows : 

Charles  W.  Stewart,  Doaksville  1872—1889. 

Thomas  C.  Ogburn,  Goodland  1889—1891. 

Wiley  Homer,  Grant  1891—1892. 

Samuel  Gladman,  Atoka  1897—1899. 

Richard  D.  Colbert,  Grant  1899—1900. 

John  H.  Sleeper,  Frogville  1900—1904. 

Hugh  L.  Harry,  Frogville  1904 — 1905. 

William  J.  Starks,  Frogville  1905—1912. 
Julius  W.  Mallard,  Frogville         since  Jan.  4,  1913. 

Wiley  Homer,  an  elder  and  catechist  in  the  Beaver  Dam 
church  at  Grant,  as  an  aid  to  Parson  Stewart  conducted 
most  of  the  services  during  his  last  two  years,  1887  to  1889. 

This  church  in  1913  reports  26  members  and  59  in  the 
Sunday  school.  In  all  probability  it  was  the  second  church 
organized  by  Parson  Stewart. 


348         CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

ST.  PAUL  CHURCH,  EAGLETOWN 

In  1877,  Parson  Charles  W.  Stewart  of  Doaksville  be- 
gan to  hold  occasional  religious  services  in  the  colored 
settlement  at  Eagletown,  and  Saint  Paul  Presbyterian 
church  was  organized  in  1878. 

Rev.  Charles  Copling,  a  missionary  to  the  Choctaws 
also  conducted  an  occasional  service  among  the  colored  peo- 
ple, during  the  year  preceding  the  organization  of  the 
church. 

The  elders  ordained  at  the  time  of  organization  were 
Elijah  Butler,  Primas  Richards  and  Solomon  Pitchlyn.  In 
1885  William  Butler  was  ordained  to  supply  the  vacancy, 
occasioned  by  the  removal  of  Elijah  Butler,  and  Primas 
Richards  to  Lukfata,  where  they  became  that  year  two  of 
the  first  elders  of  the  Mount  Gilead  church.  William  But- 
ler continued  to  serve  as  an  elder  until  1897,  when,  as  a 
licentiate  of  the  Presbytery,  he  became  the  stated  supply 
of  St.  Paul  and  Forest  Presbyterian  churches.  Shepherd 
Riley  served  a  number  of  years  as  an  elder  of  this  church. 
Those  serving  as  elders  in  1913  are  Calvin  Burris,  Monroe 
Lewis,  George  Burris  and  Adam  Lewis. 

The  ministers  serving  Saint  Paul  have  been: 

Parson  Charles  W.  Stewart  1877  to  1889. 

William  G.  Ogburn  1890  to  1891. 

John  H.  Sleeper  1894  to  1897. 

William  Butler  1897  to  date,  1914. 

William  Butler,  a  favorite  son  and  elder  of  this  church, 
continuing  to  serve  it  acceptably  in  the  pastorate  ever  since 
he  was  made  a  licentiate  in  connection  with  Forest  has  made 
a  very  noble  record.  He  is  a  pastor  who  has  acquired  the 
art  of  emphasizing  in  a  very  pleasant  way  the  word  "come." 

"Oh,  come  to  the  church  in  the  wildwood, 
To  the  trees  where  the  wild  flowers  bloom ; 


HISTORIES  OF  CHURCHES  349 

Where  the  parting  hymn  will  be  chanted, 

We  will  weep  by  the  side  of  the  tomb. 

"From  the  church  in  the  valley  by  the  wildwood, 

When  day  fades  away  into  night ; 

I  would  fain  from  this  spot  of  my  childhood, 

Wing  my  way  to  the  mansions  of  light. 
"Come  to  the  church  in  the  wildwood, 
Oh,  come  to  the  church  in  the  vale, 
No  spot  is  so  dear  to  my  childhood 
As  the  little  brown  church  in  the  vale." 

MOUNT  GILEAD  CHURCH,  LUKFATA 

The  Mount  Gilead  church  at  Lukfata  was  organized 
July  26,  1885,  by  a  committee  of  the  Presbytery  of  Choctaw, 
consisting  of  Rev.  John  Edwards,  superintendent  of  Wheel- 
ock  Academy,  and  Elder  Charley  Morris,  a  Choctaw.  The 
members  enrolled  on  this  date  were: 

Elijah  Butler  and  Amanda  Butler,  his  wife;  Elisha 
Butler  and  Vina  Butler,  his  wife;  Easter  Butler,  Francis 
Butler,  Jane  Butler,  Francis  Burris,  Daniel  Burris,  Kate 
Burris,  Primas  Richards,  Rhoda  Butler,  Nelson  Butler  and 
Adaline  Butler. — 14. 

Elijah  Butler  and  Elisha  Butler,  his  son,  and  Primas 
Richards  were  elected  and  ordained  as  the  first  elders.  On 
Jan.  29,  1896,  Matthew  Richards  was  ordained  an  elder. 

This  church  was  called  "Mount  Gilead,"  the  home  of  the 
prophet  Elijah,  in  honor  of  Elijah  Butler,  one  of  the  first 
elders,  who,  having  served  a  few  years  as  one  of  the  first 
elders  of  Saint  Paul  church,  conducted  the  first  religious 
meetings  among  the  colored  people,  that  led  to  the  organ- 
ization of  this  Presbyterian  church  at  Lukfata. 

Parson  Charles  W.  Stewart  held  occasional  services  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Lukfata,  two  or  three  years  before  the 
church  was  organized  in  1885,  and  then  continued  to  be  its 
monthly  supply  during  the  next  five  years. 


350  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

In  1890  it  was  grouped  with  St.  Paul  church  at  Eagle- 
town  and  supplied  by  Rev.  William  G.  Ogburn  from  that 
place.  From  1895  to  1899  it  was  supplied  by  Rev.  John  H. 
Sleeper,  who  then  moved  to  Frogville.  From  1901  to  1903 
it  was  served  by  Rev.  Samuel  Gladman,  who  then  took 
charge  of  Bethany  near  Wheelock. 

Rev.  Thompson  K.  Bridges,  after  serving  and  organ- 
izing Ebenezer  church  at  Lehigh  the  previous  year,  located 
at  Lukfata  in  the  fall  of  1903,  and  has  been  the  local  teacher 
and  regular  supply  of  the  church,  since  that  date,  a  period 
of  eleven  years. 


XLIII 

PARSON  CHARLES  W.  STEWART 

DOAKSVILLE,  1823-1896. 

"A  soldier  of  the  cross, 

A  follower  of  the  Lamb, 

Who  did  not  fear  to  own  his  cause, 

Or  blush  to  speak  His  name." 

>HIS  pioneer  circuit  rider  of  the  Choctaw 
Freedmen  came  forth  from  a  period  of  slav- 
ery, to  the  Choctaw  Indians  in  the  wilds  of 
Indian  Territory,  that  covered  the  first  42 
years  of  his  life.  His  home  was  afterwards 
located  near  the  Kiamichi  river,  seven  miles  west  of  Doaks- 
ville.  He  grew  to  manhood  and  always  lived  in  an  unim- 
proved, sparsely  settled  timber  country  in  an  obscure  and 
inaccessible  corner  of  the  world. 

Taking  John  the  Baptist,  as  his  ideal  of  a  good  christian 
worker,  he  became  the  leading  herald  of  the  gospel  mes- 
sage to  his  people,  first  in  the  valley  of  the  Kiamichi,  and 
then  going  forth  in  every  direction  in  the  larger  valley  of 
Red  river,  he  established  a  monthly  circuit  of  preaching  sta- 
tions, that  included  the  most  thickly  settled  neighborhoods 
of  the  colored  people  in  the  territory,  now  included  in  Choc- 
taw and  McCurtain  counties.  Like  John,  he  seems  never  to 
have  sat  before  a  camera  long  enough  to  leave  the  world  his 
portrait,  and,  though  serving  faithfully  as  a  minister  more 
than  25  years  he  never  enjoyed  the  privilege  and  pleasure 
of  attending  a  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly. 

(351) 


352  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Judging  him,  however,  by  the  results  of  his  work,  the 
circle  of  churches  established  and  acceptably  served  for  an 
unusually  long  period  of  years,  and  the  number  of  talented 
young  men,  whom  he  discovered,  in  the  communities  visited, 
and  enthused  with  the  longing  desire  and  ambition  to  be- 
come leaders  of  their  race  especially  useful  and  efficient 
teachers  and  preachers  of  the  gospel,  he  proved  himself 
worthy  to  be  rated  as  one  of  the  most  aggressive  and  suc- 
cessful of  the  early  leaders  of  his  race. 

"A  man  he  was  to  all  the  country  dear, 
Remote  from  towns  he  ran  his  godly  race, 
Nor  ever  changed,  nor  wished  to  change  his 
place." 

PERIOD  OF  SLAVERY,  1823-1866 
Charles  W.  Stewart  was  a  native  of  Alabama,  and,  at 
the  age  of  ten  in  1833,  was  transported  with  the  Choctaws, 
to  whom  as  a  slave  he  belonged,  to  the  southeastern  part  of 
Indian  Territory.  John  Homer  was  then  his  master,  and 
he  located  about  three  miles  northeast  of  the  present  town 
of  Grant.  His  first  marriage  occurred,  while  he  was  serving 
Homer.  The  wedding  of  one  of  Homer's  daughters  occur- 
red a  few  years  later,  and  his  wife  was  assigned  to  serve  in 
the  home  of  the  newly  married  daughter.  She  located  in 
a  distant  part  of  the  reservation,  and  he  was  thus  deprived 
of  his  first  wife,  Charlotte  Homer. 

Charles  Stewart,  a  white  man,  keeping  store  at  Doaks- 
ville,  soon  afterwards  became  his  owner,  and  his  previous 
name,  "Homer"  was  then  changed  to  "Stewart",  after  the 
name  of  his  new  master.  About  the  year  1860,  Samson 
Folsom,  a  Choctaw  who  lived  eight  miles  southeast  of  old 
Goodland,  became  his  new  and  last  owner. 


The  Presbytery  of  Kiamichi,  Garvin,  Okla.,  April,  1914. 


Wiley  Homer,  his  People  and  Chapel  at  Grant,  1904. 


Rev.  T.  K.  Bridges.        Rev.  W.  J.  Starks. 


\V.  R.  Flournoy. 


Doll  Beatty. 


Rev.  P.  S.  Meadows.         James  R.  Crabtree. 


PARSON  CHARLES  W.  STEWART  353 

PERIOD  OF  FREEDOM,  1866-1896 
He  began  to  hold  religious  meetings  as  early  as  1856, 
when  he  belonged  to  Stewart,  and  lived  at  Doaksville.  Mrs. 
Stewart,  who  had  been  a  missionary  teacher,  encouraged 
him  to  learn  to  read  and  furnished  him  with  books  for  that 
purpose.  Rev.  Cyrus  Kingsbury,  pastor  of  the  Choctaw 
church,  gave  him  the  instruction  in  the  Bible,  that  fitted 
him  for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  accorded  to  him  the 
privilege  of  holding  meetings  in  the  church,  for  his  people, 
on  occasional  Sabbath  afternoons. 

He  was  accorded  ordination  by  the  Presbytery  of  In- 
dian (southern)  in  the  fall  of  1870,  and  was  then  officially 
assigned  the  pastoral  care  of  the  congregations  he  had  pre- 
viously developed  at  Doaksville  and  its  vicinity,  and  at 
Wheelock,  or  Oak  Hill.  He  greatly  appreciated  the  recog- 
nitions accorded  to  him  by  the  Presbytery,  which  had  pre- 
viously given  him  a  license  to  preach ;  and  he  endeavored  to 
magnify  his  office,  as  an  evangelist,  by  going  to  the  "re- 
gions beyond,"  as  fast  as  the  door  of  opportunity  opened 
for  him.  During  the  early  sixties  he  gathered  new  congre- 
gations for  worship  at  his  home  on  the  Folsom  farm  and 
in  the  Horse  Prairie  neighborhood.  The  Oak  Hill  appoint- 
ment was  established  soon  after  he  was  accorded  his  free- 
dom. 

During  the  year  1883,  the  evangelistic  work  among  the 
Freedmen  in  Indian  Territory,  was  voluntarily  transferred 
by  the  Southern  to  the  Northern  Presbyterian  church,  with 
the  conviction  the  latter  was  better  prepared  to  success- 
fully prosecute  it.  At  the  time  of  this  transfer  Charles 
W.  Stewart  was  enrolled  as  an  ordained  minister  and  desig- 
nated as  the  Stated  Supply    of    the    following    organized 

12 


354  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

churches:  Beaver  Dam,  Hebron,  New  Hope,  Oak  Hill  and 
St.  Paul.  During  the  next  two  years  three  more  of  his  ap- 
pointments, Mt.  Gilead,  Forest  and  Horse  Prairie  were  en- 
rolled, as  the  fruit  of  his  labors,  and  added  to  his  circuit. 
At  this  early  date  he  had  also  a  preaching  station  at  Caddo 
near  Durant,  and  the  distance  across  his  circuit  of  appoint- 
ments, from  Caddo  eastward  to  St.  Paul  at  Eagletown,  was 
118  miles. 

In  1886  when  the  Synod  of  Indian  Territory  was  form- 
ed by  the  union  of  three  Presbyteries  having  24  ministers, 
his  circuit  included  8  of  the  43  churches  that  were  then  en- 
rolled. He  continued  to  serve  all  of  these  churches  four 
more  years. 

Previous  to  this  latter  date,  1890,  he  was  the  first  and 
only  Presbyterian  minister  that  preached  the  gospel  to  the 
colored  people  of  Indian  Territory.  During  that  period,  he 
laid  the  foundation  for  most  of  the  churches,  that  are  now 
enrolled  in  the  Presbytery  of  Kiamichi  and  give  employ- 
ment to  a  half  dozen  ministers.  He  was  now  advanced  in 
years  and  beginning  to  feel  the  infirmities  of  age.  He  re- 
linquished, in  favor  of  two  new  men  from  a  distance,  all  of 
his  circuit  of  churches,  except  Oak  Hill  and  Forest,  which 
he  continued  to  serve  three  more  years,  or  until  1893.  He 
was  then  at  the  age  of  70  honorably  retired  by  the  Presby- 
tery, after  a  long  and  remarkably  successful  career  in  the 
gospel  ministry. 

CIRCUIT  OF  CHURCHES 
The  following  exhibit  of  the  churches  he  established 
and  served  is  as  nearly  correct  as  it  is  possible  at  this  date 
to  make  it. 


PARSON  CHARLES  W.  STEWART 


355 


Post  office 

Church        Services 

Church 

Work 

Members 

Years 

began 

organ- 
ized 

dropped 
by  Stew- 
art 

of 

service 

Doaksville 

1856 

Pine  Ridge 

1858 

Caddo 

1860 

Horse  Prairie 

1863 

1870? 

1890 

27 

Wheelock 

Oak  Hill 

1868 

1869 

1893 

30 

25 

Goodland 

Hebron 

1868 

1872 

1890 

12 

22 

Frogville 

New  Hope 

1869? 

1872  ? 

1890 

38 

21  ? 

Grant 

Beaver  Dam  1874 

1881 

1890 

15 

16 

Eagletown 

St.  Paul 

1877 

1878 

1890 

18 

13 

Lukfata 

Mt.  Gilead 

1883 

1885 

1890 

25 

7 

Wheelock 

Forest 

1885 

1887 

1893 

7 
145 

8 

About  1890,  he  moved  to  a  home  near  Forest  church, 
and  died  there  at  73,  April  8,  1896 ;  after  an  aggressive  min- 
istry of  more  than  twenty-five  years  after  his  licensure, 
which  had  been  preceded  by  nearly  ten  years  of  earnest 
volunteer  service  for  the  betterment  of  his  people.  He  was 
buried  in  the  Crittenden  grave  yard. 

He  left  three  children,  the  offspring  of  his  marriage  to 
Catherine  Perry,  namely,  ^Thomas,  Betty  married  to  Ben- 
jamin Roebuck,  and  Harriet,  married  to  Rev.  Pugh  A.  Ed- 
wards. 

In  1886,  after  the  death  of  Catherine,  he  married  the 
widow  of  Jeffers  Perkins,  and  she  died  at  65  in  1905,  sur- 
vived by  seven  of  twelve  children  by  her  first  marriage, 
namely,  Charles  and  Louis  Perkins,  Mrs.  R.  D.  Arnold,  Fre- 
donia  Allen,  Virginia  Willians  (d.  1913),  Fidelia  Murchison 
and  Jane  Parrish. 

CHARACTERISTICS  AS  A  PREACHER 

Charles  W.  Stewart  was  a  man  of  medium  height  and 
rather  stout  build.  The  rugged  features  of  his  face  sug- 
gested a  man,  possessing  strong  and  sturdy  elements  of 


356  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

character.  He  grew  to  manhood  under  circumstances  and 
changes  that  made  an  early  education  impossible.  His  edu- 
cation, which  was  very  limited  was  acquired  by  the  private 
study  of  a  primer,  catechism,  Bible  and  other  books,  furnish- 
ed him  by  Mrs.  Stewart,  his  real  owner,  and,  Rev.  Cyrus 
Kingsbury  (d.  1870). 

Parson  Stewart  was  a  faithful  christian  worker,  who 
did  not  become  weary  in  well  doing.  He  made  his  long  jour- 
neys on  horseback.  He  endeavored  to  arrive  at  his  monthly 
appointments  the  previous  day  so  as  to  have  time  for  the 
discipline  or  re-instatement  of  wayward  members,  or  hold 
an  evangelistic  meeting.  He  manifested  so  much  of  hope- 
ful enthusiasm  in  his  work  that  he  seemed  unmindful  of  the 
loneliness  and  wearisomeness  of  the  long  journeys  in  the 
wilderness  and  regarded  it  merely  as  a  passing  incident, 
when  he  had  to  spend  a  day  or  even  a  night  in  the  timber 
waiting  for  the  overflow  of  flooded  streams  to  subside,  so  he 
could  safely  ford  them. 

He  was  an  aggressive  christian  worker.  He  strived  to 
preach  the  gospel,  "not  where  Christ  was  named,  lest  he 
should  build  upon  another  man's  foundation,"  but,  as  it  is 
written,  'To  whom  he  was  not  spoken  of  they  shall  see,  and 
they  that  have  not  heard  shall  understand."  He  was  on  the 
alert  to  hear  the  cry  of  Macedonia,  "Come  over  and  help  us," 
and  he  was  always  ready  to  enter  and  hold  a  new  field  while 
his  strength  lasted.  When  he  was  licensed,  all  the  land  of 
the  Choctaw  Nation  seemed  to  be  spread  out  before  him, 
as  his  field  of  effort,  as  the  land  of  Canaan  was  before 
Joshua,  when  the  Lord  encouraged  him  to  be  "strong,  very 
courageous  and  possess  it,"  for  his  people.  He  knew  he  had 
the  "book  of  the  law,"  that  his  people  needed  and  his  whole 
nature  seemed  to  be  enthused  with  the  promise,  "Every 


PARSON  CHARLES  W.  STEWART  357 

place  that  the  sole  of  your  foot  shall  tread  upon,  that  have 
I  given  unto  you."  His  ambition,  to  carry  the  message  of 
gospel  light  and  liberty  into  new  settlements  of  his  people, 
was  limited  by  the  necessity  laid  upon  him,  to  continue  to 
serve  those  he  had  already  acquired. 

He  was  an  enthusiastic  Presbyterian.  He  frequently 
delighted,  as  well  as  instructed  the  people,  by  explaining  to 
them  the  Bible,  by  repeating  familiar  portions  of  the  shorter 
Catechism  and  Confession  of  Faith.  These  were  his  most 
familiar  and  best  commentaries  on  the  Bible.  He  encour- 
aged the  elders,  to  become  leaders  of  meetings,  and  teach- 
ers of  the  people,  by  maintaining  regular  Sabbath  services, 
for  the  study  of  the  Bible  and  Catechism,  to  promote  their 
spiritual  welfare. 

He  was  a  forceful  and  acceptable  preacher.  In  his  later 
years  he  was  sometimes  slow  in  finding  the  hymn,  Scripture 
lesson  and  text.  But  when  he  found  the  hymn,  it  was  al- 
ways one  the  people  could  sing,  and  in  leading  them  with 
his  own  powerful  voice,  he  needed  neither  tuning  fork  or 
organ  accompaniment.  He  read  the  Scripture  with  such  a 
variety  of  emphasis,  as  to  awaken  the  desire  to  catch  every 
word.  In  the  delivery  of  his  message  he  manifested  so  much 
sincerity  and  earnestness,  that  every  one  felt  he  was  speak- 
ing to  them  "direct  from  the  shoulder." 

He  grew  in  favor  with  the  people.  He  held,  to  the  end 
of  his  lifelong  ministry,  the  love  and  affection  of  the  peo- 
ple, whom  he  served.  He  saw  their  need  of  teachers  and 
preachers,  and  encouraged  the  young  people  in  every  neigh- 
borhood, to  prepare  themselves  to  supply  that  need.  As  a 
direct  result  of  his  personal  influence  and  encouragement, 
Wiley  Homer,  Richard  D.  Colbert,  William  Butler,  Elisha 
Butler,  Simon  Folsom  and  others  came  to  be  recognized,  as 


358  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

efficient  Bible  teachers  and  religious  leaders,  in  their  re- 
spective settlements.  Acceptable  and  permanent  preachers 
could  not  be  found,  for  the  group  of  churches  from  which 
Stewart  retired  in  1890,  until  Homer,  Colbert  and  Butler 
were  licensed,  and  two  churches  assigned  to  each  of  them. 

The  worthy  veteran  lived  long  enough  to  see  Wiley 
Homer  licensed  in  1893  and  become  his  successor  at  Beaver 
Dam  and  Hebron.  The  other  two  were  licensed  in  1897,  the 
year  after  he  "entered  into  the  joy  of  his  Lord."  It  was  not 
until  this  year,  when,  John  H.  Sleeper  continuing  to  serve 
Mt.  Gilead,  William  Butler  became  his  successor  at  St.  Paul 
and  Forest,  and  R.  D.  Colbert  was  assigned  New  Hope  and 
Sandy  Branch,  that  all  of  the  churches  in  the  circuit  of 
Stewart  had  regular  supplies. 

He  was  a  real  pioneer  "circuit  rider,"  who  has  left  the 
good  impression  of  his  personal  work,  upon  the  colored 
people  of  a  large  section  of  country,  and  of  him  it  may  well 
be  said: 

"This  man  never  preached  for  money, 
If  he  did  he  never  got  it ; 
He  had  some  faults,  but  more  virtues: 
He  was  conscientious  and  devoted, 
Persevering  and  determined; 
Long  his  name  will  be  remembered." 

"He  was  a  faithful  circuit  rider — though  a  slave  in  his 
youth ; 

His  artless  earnest  sermons  were  the  simple  tale  of 
truth, 

How  the  Son  of  God  who  loved  us,  left  a  scepter,  crown 
and  throne, 

All  the  joys  of  highest  heaven,  to  go,  seek  and  save  his 
own." 

"Soldier  of  Christ,  well  done ! 
Praise  be  your  new  employ, 
And  while  eternal  ages  run 
Rest  in  the  Saviour's  joy." 


PARSON  CHARLES  W.  STEWART  359 

The  opportunity  to  prepare  the  foregoing  tribute  to 
the  memory  of  Charles  W.  Stewart,  and  give  it  an  historic 
setting  in  this  volume,  has  been  greatly  appreciated  by  the 
author.  Rising  above  the  limitations  of  his  condition  as  a 
slave,  during  the  first  half  of  his  natural  life,  he  consecrated 
himself  to  the  betterment  of  his  race  and  thus,  under  the 
most  unfavorable  circumstances,  prepared  himself  for  the 
wider  field  and  greater  opportunities,  that  came  to  him  with 
the  dawn  of  freedom. 

This  story  of  noble  achievement  by  one  of  their  own 

number,  is  well  worthy  of  long  and  careful  preservation; 

that  it  may  thrill  to  noble  endeavor,  the  present  and  future 

generations  of  the  Choctaw  Freedmen. 

"Let  us  labor  for  the  Master, 

From  the  dawn  till  setting  sun ; 

Let  us  talk  of  all  his  wondrous  love  and  care, 

Then,  when  all  of  life  is  over, 

And  our  work  on  earth  is  done, 

And  the  roll  is  called  up  yonder,  we'll  be  there." 


XLIV 

REV.  WILEY  HOMER 

"Patience  and  Perseverance  will  perform  great  wonders." 

i^^^^TjTT  nas  been  said,  "some  men  are  born  great, 
/  \(  some  have  greatness     thrust     upon  them, 

while  others  achieve  greatness."  Many, 
however,  who  have  inherited  a  great  name, 
wealth  or  power  have  failed  to  meet  the 
expectation  of  their  parents  and  friends.  When,  therefore, 
any  one,  reared  in  the  home  of  poverty  and  educated  in  the 
school  of  "hard  knocks,"  rises  above  the  unfavorable  lim- 
itations of  his  surroundings  and  achieves  a  noble  career  of 
eminent  usefulness  in  church  or  state,  he  merits  commend- 
ation. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  good  illustration  of  the 
self-made  man.  He  inherited  good  lungs,  a  strong  voice 
and  a  splendid  physique.  He  is  really  a  physical  giant,  his 
stalwart  frame  towering  upward  six  feet,  and  tipping  the 
beam  at  265  pounds.  His  erect  and  dignified  movements  have 
made  him  a  commanding  figure  among  his  people.  His 
constant  endeavor  to  promote  their  best  interests  has  made 
him  a  popular  leader  among  them.  A  slave  by  birth  and 
denied  the  privilege  of  books  and  papers,  lest  he  should 
learn  to  read,  his  eager  desire  for  knowledge  led  him  to  de- 
vise ways  and  means  of  self -education,  to  enable  him  to  rise 
above  the  fetters  that  bound  him  in  youth.  His  successful 
career  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  serving  the  same  people 
amongst  whom  he  was  born  and  raised  during  the  entire 

(360) 


REV.  WILEY  HOMER  361 

period  of  his  active  ministerial  life,  was  as  unusual  and 
worthy  of  special  commendation,  as  it  was  long  and  useful. 
Wiley  Homer  was  born  March  1,  1851,  in  the  south  part 
of  the  Choctaw  Nation,  known  as  the  Red  river  valley.  His 
parents  were  Isam  McCoy  and  Adaline  Shoals,  who  lived 
about  three  miles  northeast  of  the  present  town  of  Grant. 
As  his  parents  were  called  after  the  family  name  of  their 
masters,  in  accordance  with  the  usual  custom  in  slavery 
times,  he  was  called  "Homer"  after  the  name  of  his  master, 
John  Homer,  a  full-blood  Choctaw. 

LEARNING  THE  ALPHABET 
His  self-education  began,  when  at  fourteen,  he  was 
employed  as  a  cowboy,  to  herd  cattle  on  the  little  prairies 
and  hunt  them,  when  scattered  through  the  timber.  The 
timber  was  a  general  pasture  for  the  cattle  of  everybody, 
and  their  ownership  was  told  by  the  brand  which  consisted 
of  the  initial  letters  of  the  owner's  names,  burned  on  the 
hip,  or  back  of  each.  It  became  necessary  for  him,  to  learn 
how  to  distinguish  these  brands,  one  from  another,  for  he 
was  sometimes  asked  to  hunt  the  cattle  of  other  people.  To 
do  this  he  began  by  drawing  the  outline  of  familiar  brands 
in  the  dust  or  sand,  where  the  ground  was  smooth,  and  then 
on  slips  of  paper.  In  a  short  time,  the  list  on  the  paper  slips 
included  the  brand  of  every  owner  in  the  settlement,  and 
nearly  all  the  letters  of  the  alphabet. 

A  man  once  called  on  his  employer,  Samson  Loring,  to 
see  if  he  could  hunt  his  cattle.  When  asked  if  he  could 
identify  the  new  brand,  "A.  B.",  he  took  a  stick  and,  stoop- 
ing down  before  them,  drew  the  outline  of  these  letters,  in 
the  loose  sand  of  the  road.  On  seeing  this  performance 
one  remarked  to  the  other,  "That  boy  will  make  a  smart 
nigger."     That  remark  was  a  source  of  considerable  en- 


362  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

couragement  to  him,  and  awakened  the  desire,  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  every  opportunity  to  gain  knowledge. 

LEARNING  TO  READ 

When,  at  16  in  1867,  he  wa/3  accorded  his  freedom  he 
obtained  a  primer  and  first  reader,  and  undertook  to  master 
these  by  private  study.  About  four  years  later,  a  testament 
and  shorter  Catechism  were  given  him.  He  now  had  what 
was  regarded  as  a  good  library  for  a  young  man  and  he  ap- 
plied himself  to  the  reading  and  study  of  these  books,  in 
the  evenings  and  other  periods  of  spare  time.  The  test- 
ament was  frequently  taken  to  the  field  when  plowing,  in 
order  that  he  might  learn  to  read  a  verse  or  two,  while  the 
team  was  resting,  or  get  a  neighbor,  passing  on  the  road,  to 
read  it  for  him.  The  reading  of  the  testament  soon  awak- 
ened a  desire  to  be  a  teacher  and  preacher,  and  this  greatly 
increased  his  interest  in  the  study  of  that  book. 

He  learned  to  sing  from  his  mother,  who  greatly  en- 
joyed whiling  away  spare  hours  on  the  Sabbath,  singing  the 
songs  they  used  to  sing  in  slavery  times.  The  only  help  of 
a  teacher,  that  he  enjoyed  was  a  period  of  three  months,  to 
enable  him  to  read  the  Bible  aloud  correctly.  This  instruc- 
tion was  given  only  on  Sabbath  afternoons,  and  for  it  he 
had  to  cut  and  split  for  the  teacher  250  oak  rails. 

THE  MAN  WHO  BUILT  THE  ARBOR 

The  story  of  the  incidents,  that  prepared  the  way  and 
providentially  led  him  into  the  ministry,  is  as  novel  and  in- 
teresting as  the  one  relating  to  his  method  of  learning  the 
alphabet. 

When  he  had  learned  to  read  portions  of  the  Testa- 
ment and  Catechism  there  were  no  meetings  held  in  his 
neighborhood  on  the  Sabbath,  for  the  religious  instruction  of 


REV.  WILEY  HOMER  363 

the  colored  people.  He  had  a  good  voice  and  loved  to  sing. 
He  had  experienced  as  much  joy  and  delight  in  learning  to 
read  the  Bible,  as  many  do,  when  they  learn  to  play  a  musi- 
cal instrument.  He  longed  for  an  opportunity  to  read  the 
Bible  for  others. 

This  yearning  first  took  the  form  of  a  prayer,  that  God 
would  provide  for  them  a  church  or  place  for  meeting.  When 
this  prayer  had  been  offered  a  few  times,  at  the  foot  of  an 
oak  tree  in  the  timber  he  told  others  of  his  earnest  desire 
for  a  church ;  and  proposed  to  some  friends,  that  they  unite 
with  him  in  building  an  arbor  in  the  timber  for  a  meeting 
place.  This  proposal  was  not  taken  very  seriously,  and  yet 
none  of  his  friends  cared  to  oppose  it.  A  day  was  finally  ap- 
pointed and  all,  who  were  interested,  were  requested  to 
meet  at  the  place  selected  for  the  arbor,  and  help  to  build  it. 

On  the  morning  of  that  day,  he  went  alone  to  the  ap- 
pointed place,  which  was  near  the  oak  tree  at  the  foot  of 
which  he  had  before  knelt  in  prayer,  and  by  noon  he  had  cut 
and  erected  the  frame.  Another  friend  arrived  in  the  after- 
noon and  assisted  to  cover  it  with  branches  of  trees  and  sup- 
ply it  with  seats. 

On  the  day  following,  which  was  the  Sabbath,  the 
colored  people  of  the  neighborhood  assembled  to  see  the  new 
arbor  and  enjoy  a  meeting.  Now  it  happened  that  no  one 
present  had  ever  led  a  meeting,  and  the  first  question  to  be 
settled  was,  "who  should  lead  the  meeting?"  Every  one, 
that  was  asked  to  lead  it,  insisted,  "the  man  who  built  the 
arbor"  must  serve  as  leader  of  the  meeting. 

Young  Homer  accepted  the  situation  and  led  the  meet- 
ing in  the  best  manner  possible.  The  exercises  consisted  of 
a  prayer,  the  reading  of  a  familiar  passage  from  the  Bible, 
some  remarks  by  the  leader  and  others,  and  the  singing  from 


364  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

memory  of  a  few  plantation  melodies,  such  as  "Kentucky 
Home,"  Swanee  River",  and  "The  Angels  Are  Coming  to 
Carry  Me  Home." 

At  the  second  meeting,  which  was  held  on  the  following 
Sabbath,  the  people  were  formed  into  a  class  for  instruction 
in  the  Bible  and  catechism,  and  Homer  was  chosen  to  be 
the  leader.  This  was  the  organization  of  the  Sunday  school 
for  that  neighborhood. 

At  this  meeting  Homer  offered  prayer  the  first  time 
in  the  presence  of  others;  and  it  happened  in  this  way. 
When  he  called  on  the  friend,  who  led  in  prayer  at  the  first 
meeting  to  do  so  again,  he  politely  declined,  saying :  "Homer 
you  lead  in  prayer,  yourself." 

A  TEACHER,  ELDER  AND  PREACHER 

This  arbor,  which  was  the  tiny  beginning  of  the 
Beaver  Dam  church,  was  built  in  1873,  the  year  after  he 
became  of  age.  The  next  year  this  place  was  visited  by  Rev. 
Charles  W.  Stewart,  and  it  then  became  one  of  his  regular 
monthly  appointments.  Homer  was  again  appointed  Bible 
teacher  and  leader  of  the  meetings,  on  the  other  Sabbaths. 

In  1875  a  church  house  or  meeting  place  was  built  of 
saplings,  near  the  old  arbor,  that  continued  to  be  used  for 
many  years. 

In  1881  he  was  elected  as  the  first  elder  of  the  church, 
and  in  1887  was  appointed  a  Catechist.  Encouraged  by 
these  recognitions  and  duties  he  secured  a  good  library  of 
religious  books  including  a  Bible  dictionary  and  a  Webster. 
He  read  many  of  them  with  great  profit,  and  was  soon 
recognized  as  an  intelligent  and  valuable  instructor  of  the 
people.  The  Bible  and  the  shorter  Catechism,  the  one  con- 
taining all  of  Bible  truth  and  the  other,  a  brief  com- 
pend  of  Bible  doctrine,  were  the  two  books  that  were  studied 
most  and  proved  most  helpful. 


REV.  WILEY  HOMER  365 

In  1893  he  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Presbytery  of 
Choctaw  and  assigned  the  pastoral  care  of  Beaver  Dam  and 
Hebron  churches.  On  Sept.  28,  1895,  by  the  same  Presby- 
tery, meeting  at  Oak  Hill  Academy,  now  known  as  the  Alice 
Lee  Memorial,  he  was  ordained  to  the  full  work  of  the  gospel 
ministry.  He  continued  to  serve  Beaver  Dam,  his  old  home 
church,  until  Oct.  1,  1912,  when,  after  a  pastorate  of  twen- 
ty years,  he  was  honorably  retired  from  the  active  work  of 
the  gospel  ministry.  In  1904  he  secured  the  erection  of  a 
commodious  chapel  at  Grant  that,  during  the  next  five 
years,  served  also  as  the  most  convenient  place  for  holding 
the  neighborhood  school.  After  serving  Hebron  about  ten 
years  on  alternate  Sabbaths,  in  connection  with  Beaver 
Dam,  he  relinquished  that  field  and  served  Sandy  Branch 
and  Horse  Prairie,  each  a  short  period. 

When  the  Presbytery  of  Kiamichi  met  in  the  new  chapel 
at  Grant,  in  April  1905,  he  conducted  the  Bible  lesson  for 
the  entire  Sunday  school,  as  had  been  his  custom  ever  since 
the  early  days.  The  writer  was  pleasantly  surprised  and 
profoundly  impressed,  by  his  scholarly  and  highly  instruc- 
tive management  of  it,  and  the  many  useful,  practical  les- 
sons he  endeavored  to  impress. 

THE  POWER  OF  THE  BIBLE 
Wiley  Homer  is  a  good  practical  illustration  of  what 
the  Bible  is  intended  to  do  for  all  men.  If  he  were  asked, 
what  book,  in  the  process  of  his  self-education,  had  proved 
most  valuable  to  him,  he  would  unhesitatingly  reply,  "the 
Bible."  His  prayer  in  regard  to  it  has  been  that  of  David  in 
the  119th  Psalm,  "Let  my  heart  be  sound  in  thy  statutes," 
and  his  testimony,  that  of  David  in  the  19th  Psalm,  "The 
law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect,  converting  the  soul;  the  testi- 
mony of  the  Lord  is  sure  making  wise  the  simple.     The 


366  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

statutes  of  the  Lord  are  right,  rejoicing  the  heart,  the  com- 
mandment of  the  Lord  is  pure,  enlightening  the  eyes." 

If  he  were  to  name  the  next  most  helpful  book,  it  would 
be,  The  Shorter  Catechism,  with  the  statement  on  its  first 
page,  that,  "The  chief  end  of  man  is  to  glorify  God,  and  to 
enjoy  him  forever." 

The  private  study  of  the  Bible  and  Catechism  prepared 
him  for  lifelong  usefulness  as  a  teacher,  discovered  to  him 
and  his  people  his  divine  call  to  the  ministry  and  enabled 
him  to  do  the  most  important  work  of  his  life.  He  has  been 
a  faithful  and  efficient  teacher  of  these  two  books,  but  of 
these  only,  to  all  the  people  and,  as  a  result,  he  has  become 
recognized  as  their  spiritual  leader. 

The  habit  of  private  study,  formed  while  learning  to 
read  the  Bible,  fitted  him  to  search  for  knowledge  in  other 
fields  of  literature,  and  he  has  thus  become  one  of  the  most 
intelligent,  highly  respected  and  successful  citizens  of  the 
community  in  which  he  lives. 

He  has  been  an  ardent  friend  and  promoter  of  educa- 
tion among  his  people.  When  in  1889,  it  was  decided  to 
make  the  school  at  Oak  Hill  an  industrial  institution,  he 
donated  two  head  of  cattle  to  start  the  herd.  He  has  ever 
since  taken  a  personal  interest  in  the  welfare  of  that  insti- 
tution. During  recent  years,  he  has  made  one  or  two  visits 
each  year,  for  the  purpose  of  delivering  special  lectures  and 
sermons  to  the  young  people  gathered  there.  He  thus 
brought  to  them  the  encouragement  of  his  own  word  and 
example,  in  solving  the  problems  of  their  education  and  life- 
work. 


REV    WILEY  HOMER  367 

A  COMMISSIONER  TO  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY, 
SIX  TIMES 

He  has  enjoyed  the  unusual  distinction  of  having  been 
chosen  a  commissioner  and  to  have  represented  his  Pres- 
bytery in  the  General  Assembly,  five  times  during  the  last 
fourteen  years  as  a  minister,  and  once  before  as  a  ruling 
elder,  making  six  times  in  24  years.  The  times  and  places 
of  these  meetings  were  as  follows:  In  1889,  New  York;  in 
1899,  Minneapolis;  in  1901,  Philadelphia;  in  1903,  Los  An- 
geles ;  in  1905,  Winona  Lake,  Ind. ;  in  1913,  Atlanta,  Georgia. 
In  attending  these  great  meetings  he  has  passed  over  the 
entire  length  and  breadth  of  this  land.  To  appreciate  the 
unusual  character  of  this  privilege  and  honor  it  is  merely 
necessary  to  state  the  fact,  that  the  eminent  man,  who  was 
chosen  Moderator  of  the  Assembly  at  Atlanta  in  1913,  Rev. 
John  Timothy  Stone,  D.  D.  of  Chicago,  was  attending  the 
Assembly  on  that  occasion,  the  first  time  as  a  commissioner ; 
and  Rev.  Charles  W.  Stewart,  the  worthy  founder  of  Pres- 
byterianism  among  the  Choctaw  Freedmen,  never  so  much 
as  got  there  once. 

These  frequent  voluntary  recognitions,  on  the  part  of 
his  brethren  in  the  Presbytery,  suggest  the  power  of  lead- 
ership he  has  modestly,  but  always  exercised  among  them. 
His  brethren  have  found  him  a  wise  and  prudent  counselor, 
and  an  unselfish  helper ;  and  he  has  always  been  held  in  the 
highest  esteem  by  them. 

A  LIFE-LONG  LEADER  OF  THE  CHURCH  HE 
FOUNDED 

He  has  been  a  man  of  strong  and  positive  convictions 
and  a  persevering  worker  for  the  moral  and  spiritual  uplift 
of  his  people.  He  learned  from  his  own  early 
expeiience    as    a  slave,   the  trials    and    urgent   needs    of 


368  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

his  people  and,  as  the  way  became  clear  before  him,  he  con- 
secrated himself  unreservedly  to  the  promotion  of  their  wel- 
fare. 

As  a  preacher  he  has  emphasized  the  necessity  of  re- 
pentance and  forgiveness  of  sins,  willing  obedience  to  all  the 
commands  of  Christ,  and  the  joyous  rewards  of  faithful 
service.  As  he  surveys  the  progress  of  recent  years,  he 
sees  the  fulfilment  of  Isaiah's  prediction,  "The  people,  that 
walked  in  darkness,  have  seen  a  great  light,  they  that 
dwelt  in  the  land  of  the  shadow  of  death,  upon  them  hath 
the  light  shined." 

Thirty  years  have  now  passed,  since  he  began  to  hold 
the  ever  memorable  meetings,  in  the  little  arbor  in  the  tim- 
ber. Ever  since  that  date  he  has  been  the  faithful  Bible  in- 
structor of  all  the  people,  during  the  lesson  hour  of  the  Sun- 
day school,  and  the  resident  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  for  twenty  years.  The  cozy  chapel,  and  the  good  con- 
gregation of  happy  christian  people,  that  regularly  meet 
there  for  worship  and  Bible  study,  are  visible  reminders  of 
his  consecrated  genius  and  unselfish  devotion  to  the  best  in- 
terests of  his  people. 

"Dare  to  do  right,  dare  to  be  true, 
You  have  a  work  that  no  other  can  do." 

"Since  God  is  God  and  right  is  right, 

Right  the  day  shall  win ; 
To  doubt  would  be  disloyalty, 

To  falter  would  be  sin." 

Wiley  Homer  and  Laney  Colbert  were  married  in  1867 
and  their  family  consisted  of  ten  children,  of  whom  five 
died  in  childhood  and  youth.  Those  that  are  living  are 
Susan,  Mary  Shoals,  Hattie  Lewis,  Sarah  Williams  and  Lin- 
coln. 

In  1890,  after  the  death  of  Laney,  he  married  Rhody 
Tutt;  and  in  1906,  after  her  decease,  Lizzie  Homer. 


REV.  WILEY  HOMER  369 

In  October  1912,  he  was  granted  by  the  Presbytery,  an 
honorable  retirement  from  the  performance  of  the  public 
duties  required  of  the  active  ministry.  As  the  sunset  of 
life  approaches,  and  the  shadows  lengthen  toward  the  clos- 
ing day,  he  enjoys  the  consciousness  of  a  well  spent  life,  as 
a  source  of  comfort  and  consolation  to  sustain  and  strength- 
en, until  the  recording  angel  shall  proclaim,  the  gracious 
benediction,  "Well  done  good  and  faithful  servant,  enter  thou 
into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 

HAYSTACK  MEETING 

The  use  of  the  shadow  of  the  oak  tree,  and  later  of  the 
arbor  near  it,  as  a  place  for  prayer  and  worship,  reminds 
one  of  the  historic  prayer  meeting  that  was  held  near  Wil- 
liamstown,  in  1806,  when  Samuel  J.  Mills,  and  four  other 
students  of  Williams  college,  Newell,  Nott,  Hall  and  Judson, 
met  in  the  shadow  of  a  haystack  and  united  in  prayer,  that 
God  would  fit  them  and  prepare  the  way  for  them  to  carry 
the  gospel  into  heathen  lands. 

After  making  two  tours  to  the  southwest  as  far  as 
New  Orleans,  distributing  and  selling  Bibles  and  organizing 
Bible  societies,  Mills  made  the  suggestion,  that  led  to  the 
organization  of  the  American  Bible  society  in  New  York, 
May  11,  1816;  and  to  the  Synod  of  New  York,  the  plan  of 
educating  negroes  to  carry  the  gospel  to  Africa.  In  1817 
he  was  sent  as  a  missionary  to  Western  Africa,  including 
Sierra  Leone.  He  died  on  the  homeward  voyage  and  like 
his  friend  Adoniram  Judson,  who  went  to  farther  India  and 
translated  the  Bible  for  the  Burmese,  was  buried  in  the  sea. 


XLV 

TRIBUTES  TO  OTHER  MINISTERS  AND 

ELDERS 

BUTLER.  —  COLBERT.  —  GLADMAN.  —  BRIDGES.— STARKS.— 
MEADOWS.  —  AND  ELDERS  CRITTENDEN.  —SHOALS.  — 
FOLSOM.  —  BUTLER. 

"Walk  about  Zion  and  go  round  about  her;  tell  the 
towers  thereof.  Mark  ye  well  her  bulwarks,  consider  her 
palaces;  that  ye  may  tell  it  to  the  generation  following." 

— David. 

REV.  WILLIAM  BUTLER 

"The  kindly  word,  how  far  it  goes  along  life's  way ! 
The  kindly  smile,  how  it  lights  up  a  sad,  gray  day ; 
The  kindly  deed,  how  it  repays  the  doer." 

— Mary  D.  Brine. 

»EV.  William  Butler  (B.  1859),  pastor  of  St. 
Paul  Presbyterian  church  at  Eagletown, 
and  of  Forest  church  near  Red  River  south 
of  Millerton,  is  a  native  of  the  community  in 
which  he  still  lives.  His  parents,  Abraham 
and  Nellie  Butler,  were  the  slaves  of  Pitchlyn  and  Howell, 
Choctaws;  and  William  was  about  seven,  when  freedom 
was  accorded  the  family  in  1866.  His  home  and  work  as  a 
minister  until  recently  have  been  in  localities  remote  from 
the  railway  and  good  schools.  The  short  period  of  one  and  a 
half  months  was  all  the  time  he  ever  went  to  school.  He 
learned  to  read  by  a  regular  attendance  at  Sabbath  school, 
and  by  private  study  at  the  fireside.     The  Bible  and  the 

(370) 


WILLIAM  BUTLER  371 

Shorter  Catechism  were  the  books  that  occupied  his  spare 
time  and  attention.  As  a  natural  result,  he  became  a 
christian  and  united  with  the  church  at  an  early  age. 

In  1885,  at  the  age  of  twenty-six,  he  was  ordained  an 
elder  in  the  St.  Paul  Presbyterian  church.  He  then  began 
to  read  the  Bible  to  the  congregation  and  to  hold  religious 
meetings.  While  preparing  himself  for  the  work  then  in 
hand,  he  was  led  to  see  the  great  need  of  more  teachers  and 
preachers  for  the  colored  people,  and,  believing  he  could 
render  efficient  service  as  a  minister,  he  undertook  a  spec- 
ial course  of  reading  and  instruction  under  Rev.  John 
Sleeper,  his  pastor,  and  later  of  Rev.  E.  G.  Haymaker,  sup- 
erintendent of  Oak  Hill  Academy,  instructors  who  lived  12 
and  35  miles  distant,  respectively. 

In  1894  he  was  enrolled  as  a  candidate  for  the  ministry 
under  the  Presbytery  of  Choctaw.  Three  years  later  he  was 
licensed  by  the  Presbytery  of  Kiamichi  and  appointed  the 
stated  supply  of  St.  Paul  and  Forest  churches.  He  has  con- 
tinued to  serve  these  two  congregations,  faithfully  and  ac- 
ceptably ever  since  that  date,  a  period  now  of  sixteen  years. 
His  ordination  occurred  in  1902.  Other  fields,  that  he  de- 
veloped and  served  for  short  periods  are,  Bethany,  two 
years;  Mount  Gilead,  one  year;  and  Mount  Pleasant,  one 
year. 

A  WINNER  OF  SOULS 

Mr.  Butler  is  a  man,  who  experienced  a  hard  struggle 
in  early  life,  in  the  effort  to  train  himself  for  his  life's  work, 
as  a  minister  and  farmer.  He  has  overcome  many  of  these 
difficulties  in  a  manner,  that  is  very  praiseworthy  and  com- 
mendable. 

He  is  a  man,  who  carries  with  him  a  happy,  hopeful 
spirit,  and  a  countenance  full  of  good  cheer.  Seeing  the  need 


372  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

of  a  religious  leader  among  the  people  of  his  home  com- 
munity, he  decided  to  fit  himself  to  supply  that  need,  and 
has  done  so  hitherto  in  an  efficient  and  admirable  manner. 
To  win  souls  to  Christ  and  instruct  them  aright  from  the 
word  of  God,  have  been  his  aims  during  his  ministry.  He 
has  been  to  the  people  an  example  in  righteousness,  and  has 
labored  with  faith  and  zeal  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord. 

His  annual  visits  to  Oak  Hill  Academy  during  term  time, 
were  always  anticipated  with  considerable  interest.  They 
were  made  the  occasion  for  special  evangelistic  services,  fol- 
lowed with  an  opportunity  for  decisions ;  and  many  times  his 
heart  was  gladdened  at  the  close  of  the  sermon,  by  seeing 
more  than  a  dozen  of  the  young  people  manifest  their  de- 
cision to  live  a  Christian  life. 

The,-people,  whom  he  serves  regularly,  have  shown  their 
appreciation  of  his  efficient  and  long  continued  work  among 
them,  by  according  to  him  a  loyal  and  constant  support.  He 
has  always  lived  in  the  wilderness  far  removed  from  the 
railway,  notwithstanding  the  fact  the  Frisco  railway  in 
1902  passed  through  the  country,  lying  between  Eagletown 
on  the  north  and  Forest  church  on  the  south.  He  has  al- 
ways had  a  pony  circuit,  of  two  or  more  rural  churches, 
widely  separated.  The  faithful  and  acceptable  service  rend- 
ered these  widely  distant  churches,  makes  him  a  good  rep- 
resentative of  the  itinerant  work  of  Parson  Stewart,  his 
pioneer  predecessor. 

The  following  lines  by  Hastings,  are  an  appropriate 
prayer  for  all,  who  like  Bro.  Butler  faithfully  and  patiently 
minister  to  those,  who  dwell  in  the  wilderness. 

"0  thou,  who  in  the  wilderness 
The  sheep,  without  a  shepherd,  didst  bless, 
Oh,  bless  thy  servants,  who  proclaim 
In  every  place  thy  wondrous  name. 


TRIBUTES  TO  OTHER  MINISTERS  373 

May  voices  in  the  wilderness, 

Still  with  glad  news  the  nations  bless ; 

And,  as  of  old,  in  deserts  cry, 

'Repent',  God's  kingdom  draweth  nigh." 

REV.  RICHARD  D.  COLBERT 

Rev.  Richard  D.  Colbert  of  Grant,  is  one  of  the  young 
men,  enlisted  in  the  work  of  the  church,  by  Parson  Stew- 
art. He  attended  Biddle  University  from  October  1884  to 
June  1887,  three  years,  when  he  returned  home,  on  account 
of  impaired  health.  Regaining  his  health  after  a  few  months, 
he  became  a  teacher  and  taught  school  eleven  years  during 
the  territorial  period. 

In  the  spring  of  1897,  he  became  a  licentiate  of  the 
Presbytery  of  Kiamichi,  and  two  years  later  was  assigned 
the  pastoral  oversight  of  New  Hope  and  Sandy  Branch 
churches.  He  was  crdained  in  1903.  Most  of  his  ministerial 
labors  have  been  devoted  to  Sandy  Branch  and  Hebron 
churches,  serving  the  latter  until  1913.  As  a  result  of  ac- 
cidents that  happened  in  making  the  journey  to  the  Hebron 
church  in  1911  he  experienced  the  loss  of  an  eye  and  other 
injuries  that  resulted  in  total  blindness  in  1913.  He  en- 
deavored to  make  a  good  record  as  a  teacher  and  preacher, 
and  has  served  his  generation  faithfully. 

REV.  SAMUEL  GLADMAN 

Rev.  Samuel  Gladman,  who  died  Jan.  11,  1913,  at  Eu- 
faula,  Okla,  was  a  native  of  Westchester,  Chester  county, 
Pa.  During  the  early  seventies  he  went  to  western  Texas 
and  engaged  in  teaching.  Sometime  afterwards  he  was 
licensed  and  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry. 

In  1896,  when  the  Presbytery  of  Kiamichi  was  organ- 
ized, he  was  enrolled  as  one  of  its  charter  members.  He  was 
then  living  at  Atoka.    During  the  next  year  he  served  New 


374  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Hope  and  Sandy  Branch  churches,  but  continued  to  reside 
in  Atoka  until  1900,  when  he  located  at  Lukfata.  Three 
years  later  he  took  charge  of  Bethany,  near  Wheelock,  and 
in  1905,  effected  the  organization  of  the  church  in  the  new 
town  of  Garvin.  In  1910,  he  voluntarily  resigned  the  work 
at  Bethany  and  the  office  of  stated  clerk  of  the  Presbytery, 
and  located  at  Eufaula. 

As  a  minister  and  lifelong  teacher,  he  rendered  a  very 
helpful  service  to  the  various  communities,  in  which  he 
lived  and  labored. 

REV.  THOMPSON  K.  BRIDGES 

Rev.  Thompson  K.  Bridges,  (B.  Dec.  6,  1856),  Luk- 
fata, is  a  native  of  Ellisville,  Jones  county,  Miss.  He  grew  to 
manhood  and  received  his  early  education  at  Claiborne, 
Jasper  county.  Later  he  attended  the  city  school  at  Mer- 
idian, and  then  took  a  course  in  theology  at  Biddle  uni- 
versity. He  began  to  teach  public  school  at  the  age  of  21 
in  1877,  and  taught  fourteen  years  in  Mississippi.  In  1891, 
he  located  in  Indian  Territory,  and  has  now  taught  sixteen 
years  in  Oklahoma.  In  1899  he  was  licensed  to  preach  by 
the  Presbytery  of  Catawba  and  in  April  1902  was  ordained 
by  the  same  Presbytery.  His  first  ministerial  labors  were 
at  Griffin,  Indian  Territory,  where  in  1903  he  effected  the 
organization  of  the  Ebenezer  church.  The  next  year  he 
continued  to  serve  Ebenezer,  but  located  at  Lukfata,  where 
he  has  since  continued  to  serve  as  the  stated  supply  of  the 
Mount  Gilead  church,  and  teacher  of  the  local  school.  He 
served  two  years,  1904  and  1905,  as  stated  clerk  of  the 
Presbytery  of  Kiamichi. 

Mr.  Bridges  has  been  a  progressive  teacher  and  min- 
ister. In  his  youth,  he  formed  the  habit  of  having  a  good 
book  or  paper  always  at  hand  to  occupy  his  attention  prof- 


TRIBUTES  TO  OTHER  MINISTERS  375 

itably,  whenever  he  had  a  spare  moment.  That  habit  of 
private  study  in  spare  moments  has  enabled  him  to  keep 
abreast  of  the  times,  and  the  changes  that  have  taken  place 
in  recent  years,  by  the  addition  of  new  branches  of  study 
to  the  public  school  course.  Ever  since  he  began  to  render 
service  to  his  people  as  a  teacher,  he  has  made  a  highly 
creditable  record  for  efficiency  and  faithfulness.  As  he  looks 
forward  to  the  future  it  is  full  of  hope  and  bright  prospects. 
He  has  never  ceased  to  be  grateful,  for  the  benevolent 
aid,  generously  furnished  him  by  the  Presbyterian  church 
and  Sunday  school  at  Purcell,  Okla.,  while  he  was  pursuing 
his  theological  studies  at  Biddle  university.  The  persons, 
whose  names  are  most  associated  with  these  grateful  mem- 
ories, are  those  of  the  pastor,  Rev.  S.  G.  Fisher,  and  two  of 
the  elders,  Mr.  Lotting  and  Will  Blanchard.  i  This  generous 
aid,  which  made  possible  an  education  for  the  gospel  min- 
istry, has  led  the  recipient  ever  since  to  feel,  that  he  is 
under  a  special  but  very  delightful  obligation,  to  ronder  to 
the  church  a  faithful  and  efficient  service,  as  long  as  he 
lives. 

REV.  WILLIAM  J.  STARKS 

The  Lord  Jesus,  who  brought  to  the  world  the  glad  tid- 
ings of  the  gospel  often  finds  his  messengers  in  strange  or 
unexpected  places;  and  leads  them,  in  remarkable  ways  to 
the  accomplishment  of  his  purposes.  No  one  can  tell,  what 
is  going  on  in  the  mind  of  a  young  man,  brought  under  the 
influence  of  the  divine  Spirit ;  nor  how  deep  the  impressions, 
that  may  have  been  made  upon  the  heart  of  those,  who 
naturally  seem  most  unlikely  to  become  heralds  of  the 
gospel. 

William  J.  Starks  (born  March  14,  1876),  Garvin,  is  a 
native  of  Chambersburg,  Pennsylvania.    After  completing 


376  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

the  grammar  course  in  the  public  school  of  that  place,  he 
prepared  for  college  under  special  teachers. 

The  Falling  Spring  Presbyterian  church  of  that  city, 
maintained  a  mission,  that  was  attended  by  white  and 
black.  Mr.  J.  M.  McDowell,  a  white  lawyer,  was  the  sup- 
erintendent of  this  mission.  His  special  interest  was  awak- 
ened in  young  Starks,  by  the  fact  he  committed  the  entire 
list  of  107  questions  and  answers  in  the  shorter  catechism, 
in  one  week  after  a  copy  was  placed  in  his  hands.  The  sup- 
erintendent proposed,  he  undertake  special  studies  under 
him  as  his  teacher.  In  1897,  he  entered  the  college  at  Lin- 
coln university  and  graduated  from  it  in  1901,  and  from  the 
Theological  department  in  1904. 

After  one  year  spent  in  mission  work  at  Mercersburg, 
Pa.,  he  became  in  1905  the  stated  supply  of  the  New  Hope 
church  at  Frogville,  and  in  1908,  also  of  Sandy  Branch.  On 
November  1,  1912,  he  became  the  successor  of  Rev.  W.  H. 
Carroll  at  Garvin. 

During  jbiis  residence  of  seven  years  at  Frogville,  he 
maintained  a  six  months  term  of  school  every  year  in  the 
chapel,  serving  the  first  five  years  as  a  mission  teacher  un- 
der our  Freedmen's  Board,  and  the  last  two  as  a  teacher  of 
public  school.  In  September,  1910,  he  was  elected  stated 
clerk  oi  the  Presbytery  of  Kiamichi,  and  is  still  serving  in 
that  capacity.  In  October,  1910,  he  served  as  moderator 
of  the  synod  of  Canadian  at  Little  Rock,  Ark. 

REV.  PLANT  SENIOR  MEADOWS 
Plant  Senior  Meadows,  (Born  Feb.  15,  1841)  Shawnee- 
town,  is  a  native  of  Lewis  county,  Mo.  At  17  in  1859,  he  was 
sold  by  the  administrator  of  the  Cecil  Home,  and  a  sugar 
planter  at  St.  Mary's  Parish,  La.,  became  his  master.  Here 
he  was  employed  at  various  kinds  of  mechanical  work,  until 


TRIBUTES  TO  ELDERS  377 

he  was  accorded  his  freedom,  at  26  in  1865.  Mrs.  Cecil 
taught  him  to  read,  and  during  this  early  period,  he  made 
the  best  possible  use  of  his  spare  moments,  by  reading  all 
the  good  books  that  were  available.  As  soon  as  he  was  free, 
he  became  a  teacher  and  in  connection  with  ministerial 
duties  taught  twenty-two  years  in  Texas,  and  since  1908,  in 
Shawneetown,  Okla. 

On  Nov.  10,  1867,  he  was  licensed  and  in  1869,  ordained 
to  the  full  work  of  the  gospel  ministry,  by  the  A.  M.  E. 
church  of  Texas.  After  41  years  of  faithful  service  in  that 
church,  which  included  a  term  as  presiding  elder,  in  1908 
he  located  within  the  Presbytery  of  Kiamichi,  Okla.,  and, 
becoming  a  member  of  it,  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church  at  Shawneetown.  Bethany  and  Pleasant 
Hill  have  since  been  added  to  his  field.  He  has  made  a  good 
record  and  is  still  doing  splendid  work  at  73. 

OAK  HILL  PIONEERS 

Henry  Crittenden,  1830-1894. 

Teena  Crittenden  1831-1898. 

John  Ross  Shoals  1849-1885. 

Hattie  Crittenden  Shoals,  1850-1909. 

Henry  Crittenden  and  Teena  Crittenden  his  wife,  John 
Ross  Shoals,  his  son-in-law  and  Hattie  C.  Shoals,  his  wife, 
all  of  whom  were  buried  in  the  Crittenden  Burying  Ground 
near  the  old  Crittenden  pioneer  home  east  of  Valiant,  were 
four  of  the  six  original  members  of  the  Oak  Hill  church  in 
1869. 

During  the  last  years  of  the  slavery  period,  they  lived 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Doaksville,  and  there  enjoyed  the 
occasional  privilege  of  attending  Sabbath  afternoon  meet- 
ings for  the  colored  people,  in  the  Choctaw  Presbyterian 
church.     These  meetings  were  at  first  conducted,  by  Rev. 


378  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

Cyrus  Kingsbury  and  Mrs.  Charles  Stewart,  wife  of  the 
storekeeper,  and  later  by  Parson  Stewart.  The  instruction, 
given  by  the  parson,  consisted  principally  in  reading  selec- 
tions from  the  Bible  and  shorter  catechism.  The  rest  of 
the  time  was  spent  in  singing  familiar  hymns  and  giving 
testimonies.  They  became  Presbyterians  and  formed  a  part 
of  Parson  Stewart's  first  congregation  at  that  place. 

When  they  were  accorded  their  freedom  about  the  year 
1865,  they  chose  their  permanent  location  in  the  Oak  Hill 
neighborhood,  about  fifteen  miles  eastward.  Parson  Ste- 
wart followed  them,  and  began  to  hold  occasional  services 
at  the  home  of  Henry  Crittenden.  He  became  the  first  elder 
of  the  Oak  Hill  church,  when  it  was  organized  in  1869,  and 
during  the  remaining  25  years  of  his  life  rendered  a  zealous 
and  faithful  service. 

Henry  Crittenden  enjoyed  the  reputation  of  being  a 
"master  mechanic."  During  the  slavery  period,  he  was 
trained  as  a  blacksmith,  tinsmith  and  carpenter,  and  later 
acquired  the  art  of  repairing  jewelry.  Soon  after  he  lo- 
cated on  the  Crittenden  land,  he  built  a  shop.  His  intelli- 
gence and  skill  as  a  workman  enabled  him  to  attract  custom- 
ers from  long  distances.  He  was  industrious  and  econom- 
ical, and  accumulated  savings  more  rapidly  than  any  of  his 
neighbors. 

He  was  a  firm  believer  in  the  Bible  and  a  regular  at- 
tendant at  church.  He  encouraged  the  establishment  of 
the  Oak  Hill  Sunday  school,  of  which  J.  Ross  Shoals,  his 
son-in-law  in  1875,  became  the  first  teacher.  He  furnished 
most  of  the  materials  for  the  first  frame  school  house  in  the 
Oak  Hill  district  in  1878,  and  in  1887,  when  it  was  used 
in  the  erection  of  a  larger  building  near  the  "Old  Log 
House"  and  since  known  as  Oak  Hill  Academy,  he  covered 
the  deficit  on  the  building  estimated  at  $100.00. 


HENRY  CRITTENDEN 


SIMON  FOLSOM 


ELIJAH  BUTLER 


MRS.  PERKINS  STEWART  REV.  C.  L.  PERKINS 


MRS.  R.  D.  ARNOLD 


JOHNSON  W.  SHOALS  JAMES  G.  SHOALS 

[378] 


ISAAC  JOHNSON 


MATT  AND  MRS.  BROWN 


THE  TEACHERS,  1899 

Photo  by  Mattie  Hunter 


TRIBUTES  TO  ELDERS  379 

He  and  Parson  Stewart  were  the  most  influential  of  the 
Choctaw  Freedmen,  in  securing  the  establishment  of  Oak 
Hill  Academy,  as  a  training  school  for  teachers.  He  mani- 
fested his  joy,  not  only  on  the  day  of  its  lowly  establish- 
ment by  Miss  Hartford  in  February  1886,  but  at  every  suc- 
cessive enlargement  of  its  work,  while  he  lived.  He  knew 
better,  than  many  of  his  fellow  Freedmen,  the  value  of 
youthful  training,  and  was  enthusiastic  in  his  zeal,  to  have 
every  family  far  and  near  take  advantage  of  its  open  door. 
An  early  teacher,  who  frequently  heard  him,  writes:  "He 
was  a  dear,  good  old  man,  a  remarkable  man  in  many  ways. 
His  ability  to  read  was  quite  limited,  but  his  voice  was 
splendid  for  service  in  meetings." 

Teena  Crittenden,  his  amiable  wife,  was  as  industrious 
and  frugal  in  the  home,  as  her  husband,  in  the  shop  and  on 
the  farm.  She  was  a  devout  christian,  one  that  loved  the 
Bible  and  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  having  a  place  at  the 
meeting  for  prayer.  She  died  at  67  in  1898,  having  outlived 
her  husband  four  years. 

John  Ross  Shoals,  in  addition  to  the  Sabbath  afternoon 
meetings  at  Doaksville,  took  some  additional  night  work, 
that  fitted  him  to  become  the  first  Sunday  school  teacher  in 
the  Oak  Hill  neighborhood  in  1875,  and  an  efficient  elder  in 
the  church.  He  died  at  36  in  1885,  leaving  to  Hattie,  his 
wife,  the  responsibility  of  raising  and  educating  a  family  of 
nine  children. 

Hattie  Crittenden  Shoals  inherited  the  industrious  and 
religious  traits  of  her  parents,  in  or  near  whose  home  she 
always  lived.  She  surpassed  many  of  her  people,  in  the  in- 
telligent forethought  she  manifested  in  all  her  plans,  and  in 
the  ability  to  exercise  a  correct  judgment  of  men  and  con- 
ditions. 


380  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

"  I  mean  to  have  my  children  begin  life,  at  a  higher 
step  than  I  did."  This  was  an  ambition  oft  expressed  in  the 
presence  of  her  children.  She  succeeded  in  giving  all  of 
them  a  good  education,  by  sending  them  first  to  Oak  Hill 
and  then  to  other  institutions,  including  Biddle  university, 
Scotia  Seminary,  Tuskeegee  and  the  Iowa  State  Agricultural 
college. 

SIMON  FOLSOM 

Simon  Folsom,  one  of  the  first  elders  of  the  Forest 
Presbyterian  church  is  now  one  of  the  oldest  living  repre- 
sentatives of  the  slavery  period.  Nancy  Brashears,  his 
third  and  present  wife  ,enjoys  the  distinction  of  having  been 
the  most  influential  of  the  early  leaders  in  effecting  the  or- 
ganization of  that  church.  He  became  an  elder  in  1887. 
After  twenty-six  years  of  faithful  service  under  very  un- 
favorable circumstances,  he  is  still  trying  "to  hold  up  for 
the  faith." 

In  1901  he  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  being  one  of  the 
commissioners  of  the  Presbytery  of  Kiamichi,  and  attended 
the  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly  in  Philadelphia.  Many 
of  the  good  things  heard  and  fine  impressions  received  on 
that  occasion,  have  never  been  forgotten,  and  they  have  fur- 
nished him  interesting  themes,  for  many  subsequent  ad- 
dresses. Though  unable  to  read,  he  quotes  the  Bible  as  one 
very  familiar  with  that  sacred  book.  He  inherited  a  good 
memory,  that  serves  him  well  in  public  address,  and  he  is 
always  happy  and  ready  when  it  comes  his  turn  to  "speak 
in  meeting."  His  messages  are  always  notes  of  joy  and 
gladness,  and  the  ebb  and  flow  of  his  voice  in  prayer  often 
seem  like  the  chanting  of  a  sacred  melody. 

He  was  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  Oak  Hill  school  and 
two  of  his  sons,  Samuel  and  David,  both  now  deceased,  were 


TRIBUTES  TO  ELDERS  381 

among  the  brightest  and  most  promising,  that  have  attend- 
ed that  institution.  He  has  been  for  many  years  the  coffin 
maker,  for  the  people  of  his  community,  and  both  of  these 
boys  became  skilled  carpenters.  Samuel,  after  completing 
the  grammar  course  at  Oak  Hill,  spent  two  years  1903-5 
at  Biddle  University  and  served  one  year  as  a  teacher  at 
Oak  Hill.  His  skill  as  a  workman  and  ability  to  serve  as  a 
foreman  of  the  carpenters,  made  it  possible  for  the  super- 
intendent in  1910,  to  erect  Elliott  Hall  by  the  labor  of  the 
students  and  patrons  of  the  Academy.  Both  worked  faith- 
fully on  this  building  and  died  soon  after  its  completion, 
during  the  early  months  of  1912.  Both  were  members  and 
Samuel  an  elder  of  the  Oak  Hill  church.* 

ELIJAH  BUTLER 

Elijah  Butler,  Lukfata,  was  an  uncle  of  Rev.  William 
Butler.  He  was  one  of  the  early  leaders  in  christian  work 
in  what  is  now  the  northeast  part  of  McCurtain  county.  In 
1878,  when  St.  Paul  church  was  organized  at  Eagletown,  he 
was  ordained  as  one  of  its  first  elders,  and  became  an  active 
christian  worker.  A  few  years  later  he  moved  to  Lukfata, 
and  when  the  Presbyterian  church  of  that  locality  was  or- 
ganized, July  26,  1885,  he  and  his  son,  Elisha  Butler,  were 
chosen  as  two  of  the  first  elders  of  that  church. 

Elijah  Butler,  like  Apollos  of  old,  was  a  man,  "fervent  in 
spirit,"  and  was  teaching  others  of  the  people,  what  he 
knew  of  God  and  the  Bible,  when  Parson  Stewart  first  visit- 
ed the  Lukfata  neighborhood.  His  zeal  and  faithfulness,  in 
magnifying  the  call  of  God  to  him  to  be  a  christian  leader 
among  his  people,  suggested  to  them  the  propriety  of  nam- 
ing their  church,  at  the  time  of  its  organization  "Mount 
Gilead,"  the  home  of  the  prophet,  Elijah,  in  his  honor.  As 
an  elder  and  christian  worker,  he  "kept  the  faith"  and  "fin- 
ished his  course  with  joy." 


*Simon  died  May  17,  1914, 


XLVI 

THE  SYNOD  OF  CANADIAN 

FIRST  MEETING  AT  OKLAHOMA.— SECOND  AT  OAK  HILL.— 
AT  GARVIN  IN  1912.— AN  UNINTENTIONAL  INJUSTICE.— 
GRATEFUL  RECOGNITION.— WOMEN'S  SYNODICAL  MIS- 
SIONARY SOCIETY.— DEPENDENT  CONDITION  OF  THE 
CHURCHES.  —  UNSYMPATHETIC  ISOLATION.  —  EDUCA- 
TIONAL INSTITUTIONS.— POPULAR  MEETINGS. 

"Christ  loved  the  church  and  gave  himself  for  it;  that 
he  might  sanctify  and  cleanse  it  with  the  washing  of  water 
by  the  word.  That  he  might  present  it  unto  himself  a  glor- 
ious church." — Paul. 

CONSTITUTED  IN  1907 
>HE  following  is  the  enabling  act  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  May  24, 
1907,  establishing  the  synod  of  Canadian, 
to  consist  of  the  colored  Presbyterian  min- 
isters and  churches  in  the  states  of  Arkan- 
sas and  Oklahoma. 

IT  IS  HEREBY  ENACTED  BY  THE  GENERAL 

ASSEMBLY 

"That  the  Synod  of  Canadian  is  hereby  erected  and 
constituted,  to  consist  of  the  Presbyteries  of  White  River, 
Kiamichi  and  Rendall;  and  the  synod  of  Canadian,  as  thus 
constituted,  shall  meet  in  the  meeting  place  of  the  First 
Colored  Presbyterian  congregation  in  Oklahoma  City,  on 
Tuesday,  the  8th  day  of  October,  1907,  at  7:30  o'clock  p.  m.; 
that  the  Rev.  W.  L.  Bethel  shall  preside  until  the  election 
of  a  Moderator,  that  the  Rev.  W.  D.  Feaster  preach  the  op- 
ening sermon  and  that  elder  J.  H.  A.  Brazleton  act  as  tem- 
porary clerk,  until  the  election  of  a  stated  and  permanent 
clerk." 

(382) 


THE  SYNOD  OF  CANADIAN  383 

The  assembly  at  this  time  enlarged  the  boundary  of 
the  Presbytery  of  Kiamichi  so  as  to  include  the  south  half  of 
the  state  of  Oklahoma  and  established  the  Presbytery  of 
Rendall  to  include  the  north  half  of  it,  the  Canadian  river, 
and  below  its  mouth  the  Arkansas  river,  forming  the  boun- 
dary line  between  them. 

It  also  enlarged  the  boundary  of  White  River  Presby- 
tery to  include  all  the  colored  Presbyterian  ministers  and 
churches  in  the  synod,or  state,  of  Arkansas. 

FIRST  MEETING  AT  OKLAHOMA 

The  first  meeting  of  the  synod  of  Canadian,  was  held  in 
the  colored  Methodist  church  of  Oklahoma  City.  The  Pres- 
bytery of  Kiamichi  was  represented  by  3  ministers  and  one 
elder,  namely,  Rev.  R.  E.  Flickinger,  and  Elder  Jack  A. 
Thomas,  representing  Oak  Hill  church  at  Valliant,  Rev.  W. 
H.  Carroll,  Garvin,  and  Rev.  T.  K.  Bridges,  Lukfata. 

The  Presbytery  of  Rendall  was  represented  by  Rev.  W. 
L.  Bethel  of  Oklahoma,  who  served  as  moderator,  John  S. 
May  of  Watonga;  William  T.  Wilson,  Reevesville;  Oscar  A. 
Williams,  M.  D.  Okmulgee;  Samuel  J.  Grier,  Guthrie;  and 
elder  J.  H.  A.  Brazleton  of  Oklahoma,  who  served  as  tem- 
porary clerk. 

The  Presbytery  of  White  River  was  not  represented  by 
any  ministers  or  elders. 

The  Oak  Hill  church  was  also  represented  by  Miss  Ma- 
linda  A.  Hall,  representing  the  Women's  Missionary  and 
Christian  Endeavor  societies,  and  by  Solomon  H.  Buchanan, 
representing  the  Sunday  school  and  Oak  Hill  Aid  society. 

At  the  first  meeting,  held  on  Tuesday  evening,  Oct.  8th, 
a  special  address  was  delivered  by  Rev.  William  A.  Provine, 
D.  D.,  representing  the  Board  of  Publication  of  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterian  church  at  Nashville,  Tennessee.  Another 


384  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

visitor,  who  was  present  with  him  at  this  first  meeting,  al- 
so delivered  a  short  address  in  behalf  of  the  cause  he  repre- 
sented. 

Inasmuch  as  White  River  Presbytery  was  not  repre- 
sented by  a  minister  or  elder,  the  sentiment  prevailed,  that 
those  present  did  not  form  a  quorum,  and  nothing  further 
was  done  save  to  adjourn  until  the  next  morning. 

At  the  meetings  held  on  Wednesday  morning  and  after- 
noon considerable  indisposition  to  organize  was  manifested 
by  most  of  those  participating  in  the  discussions,  because 
the  colored  people  had  not  been  previously  consulted  as  to 
their  wishes,  before  the  Synod  of  Canadian  was  established 
by  the  General  Assembly.  As  nothing  further  was  accom- 
plished the  meeting  was  adjourned  a  third  time. 

On  Wednesday  evening  Oct.  9th,  after  a  sermon  by 
Rev.  R.  E.  Flickinger,  the  Synod  of  Canadian  was  organized. 
Rev.  William  L.  Bethel  was  elected  Moderator  and  elder  J. 
H.  A.  Brazleton,  clerk.  The  principal  business  transacted 
was  the  enrollment  of  delegates,  the  arrangement  of  the 
standing  committees  and  the  appointment  of  a  special  com- 
mittee, to  prepare  a  set  of  standing  rules  to  be  submitted 
at  the  next  meeting. 

SECOND  MEETING  AT  OAK  HILL 
The  second  meeting  of  the  Synod  of  Canadian  was 
held  at  Oak  Hill  Academy  Oct.  1-4,  1908.  The  Presbytery  of 
Rendall  was  represented  by  Rev.  W.  L.  Bethel,  who  deliv- 
ered the  opening  sermon,  and  elder  J.  H.  A.  Brazleton  of  Ok- 
lahoma. The  Presbytery  of  White  River  was  represented 
only  by  Rev.  W.  A.  Byrd,  Ph.  D.,  of  Cotton  Plant,  Ark.,  and 
he  was  elected  Moderator.  Rev.  William  H.  Carroll  of  Gar- 
vin was  elected  stated  clerk,  after  the  adoption  of  the  stand- 
ing rules  presented  by  Rev.  R.  E.  Flickinger.    The  meetings, 


THE  SYNOD  OF  CANADIAN  385 

which  included  one  in  behalf  of  the  Women's  work,  were 
continued  over  Sabbath. 

In  1909  the  Synod  met  at  Okmulgee,  Oklahoma.  In 
1910  it  met  at  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  and  Rev.  W.  J.  Starks 
of  Frogville  served  as  moderator.  At  this  meeting  a  resolu- 
tion was  adopted  establishing  a  Synodical  Women's  Mis- 
sionary society  by  the  appointment  of  Mrs.  C.  S.  Mebane  of 
Hot  Springs,  president,  and  Miss  Cassie  Hollingsworth  of 
Little  Rock,,  Ark.,  secretary.  The  next  meeting  of  synod 
was  held  at  Hot  Springs,  Ark.,  Oct.  6,  1911,  and  the  fore- 
going resolution  was  re-approved. 

AT  GARVIN  IN  1912 

On  Oct.  3,  1912,  the  Synod  of  Canadian  met  in  the  new 
Presbyterian  church  at  Garvin,  Okla.,  and  the  opening  ser- 
mon was  delivered  by  Rev.  C.  S.  Mebane,  D.  D.,  of  Hot 
Springs,  in  the  absence  of  the  moderator,  Rev.  A.  M.  Cald- 
well. Rev.  Virgil  McPherson  of  Camden,  Ark.,  was  elected 
moderator  and  Rev.  M.  L.  Bethel  of  Oklahoma,  temporary 
clerk. 

The  representation  and  attendance  at  this  meeting,  the 
sixth  one,  was  greater  than  at  any  previous  one.  It  con- 
sisted of  15  ministers  and  5  elders  as  follows: 

C.  S.  Mebane,  A.  E.  Rankin  and  Virgil  McPherson  from 
the  Presbytery  of  White  River. 

Martin  L.  Bethel,  the  Synodical  Sunday  school  mis- 
sionary, and  J.  S.  May  from  the  Presbytery  of  Rendall. 

Wiley  Homer,  T.  K.  Bridges,  R.  E.  Flickinger,  William 
Butler,  R.  D.  Colbert,  W.  J.  Starks,  W.  H.  Carroll,  the  stated 
clerk,  N.  S.  Alverson,  P.  S.  Meadows,  J.  A.  Loving,  and 
elders,  Calvin  Burris,  St.  Paul,  Solomon  H.  Buchanan,  Oak 
Hill;  Lee  V.  Bibbs,  Forest;  T.  H.  Murchison,  Garvin,  and 
William  Harris,  Hebron;  from  the  Presbytery  of  Kiamichi. 

13 


386  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

At  this  meeting  Rev.  R.  E.  Flickinger  presented  his 
fifth  and  last  report  on  the  work  of  the  Board  of  Missions 
for  Freedmen.  He  had  performed  a  leading  part  in  effect- 
ing the  organization  of  the  Synod,  at  a  time  when  it  lacked 
a  legal  quorum,  because  of  the  previous  order  of  the  General 
Assembly  establishing  it.  The  General  Assembly  at  its 
next  meeting  approved  the  organization  and  made  it  effec- 
tive. 

GRATEFUL  RECOGNITION 

The  following  words  of  grateful  recognition  have  been 
taken  from  the  minutes  of  the  synod  of  1912.  the  first  year 
they  have  been  printed. 

Rev.  R.  E.  Flickinger,  superintendent  of  Alice  Lee 
Elliott  School,  in  a  lengthy  and  very  pathetic  address,  made 
known  to  synod  his  intention  of  giving  up  his  charge  and 
returning  to  his  home  in  Iowa. 

The  period  of  eight  years  which  he  spent  in  our  midst 
was  ended  with  many  deep  regrets  on  the  part  of  all  with 
and  for  whom  he  labored. 

"His  work  as  superintendent  of  Oak  Hill  Academy,  now 
called  Alice  Lee  Elliott  school,  will  be  long  remembered,  for 
he  secured  and  permanently  established  the  Oak  Hill  Farm, 
and  developed  industrial  features  in  the  school  far  beyond 
what  was  even  expected.  We  cherish  for  him  the  feelings 
of  gratitude  and  appreciation,  that  belong  to  the  unselfish 
worker  he  was." 

WOMEN'S  SYNODICAL  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY 

The  Women's  Missionary  meeting  at  synod  in  Garvin 
in  1912  was  the  first  one  at  which  a  complete  organization 
was  effected.    It  is  therefore  of  historic  interest. 

The  meeting  was  opened  by  Mrs.  C.  S.  Mebane  of  Hot 
Springs,  convener,  and  she  was  later  elected  president.  Mrs, 


SYNOD  OF  CANADIAN  387 

W.  H.  Carroll  was  elected  secretary,  Mrs.  W.  J.  Stark,  treas- 
urer, Mrs.  Emma  P.  White  president  of  the  Young  People's 
Work,  and  Miss  Bertha  L.  Ahrens,  corresponding  secretary. 
Others  who  were  present  and  enrolled  as  members  were 
Mrs.  M.  L.  Bethel,  Mrs.  Martha  Folsom,  Mrs.  L.  Walker, 
Mrs.  Nellie  Milton,  Sarah  Milton,  Ledocia  Milton,  Mrs. 
Fidelia  Murchison,  Mrs.  Garfield  Lewis,  Mrs.  Ed.  Thomas, 
Mrs.  Violet  Shelton,  Emma  Beams,  and  Emma  L.  Carroll. 

The  address  at  their  popular  meeting  in  the  evening 
was  delivered  by  Rev.  A.  E.  Rankin  of  Crockett,  Texas ;  and 
a  paper  from  Mrs.  D.  J.  Wallace  of  Okmulgee  was  read  by 
Mrs.  M.  L.  Bethel.  Muskogee  was  chosen  as  the  place  for 
the  synodical  meeting  in  1913. 

DEPENDENT  CONDITION  OF  THE  CHURCHES 

The  synod  in  1913  the  sixth  year  after  its  organization, 
represents  three  Presbyteries,  that  include  all  our  colored 
ministers  and  churches  in  the  states  of  Arkansas  and  Ok- 
lahoma, and,  since  1910,  those  also  that  are  in  the  east  half 
of  Texas.  Its  roll  includes  42  ministers  and  46  churches, 
whose  membership  of  1269  contributed  to  all  local  purposes, 
such  as  maintenance  of  buildings  and  pastoral  support,  the 
sum  of  $3,212.00.  This  is  an  average  of  less  than  $70.00 
for  each  church  in  the  synod  and  less  than  $48.00  each,  for 
the  churches  in  Oklahomo  and  east  Texas.  This  statement 
indicates,  that  the  ministers  serving  these  churches  are 
almost  wholly  dependent  for  their  income,  on  what  they 
receive  from  other  sources,  than  the  dependent  congrega- 
tions they  serve,  and,  that  only  by  the  practice  of  the  most 
rigid  economy,  in  personal  expenses,  is  it  possible  for  them 
to  make  ends  meet  and  maintain  a  good  name  in  their  re- 
spective communities. 


388  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

POPULAR  EVENING  MEETINGS 

The  evening  meetings  of  synod  and  a  part  of  the  after- 
noon sessions  may  be  made  very  profitable  to  the  local  con- 
gregation, by  arranging  before  hand  for  special  addresses 
on  the  part  of  representatives  of  the  Boards,  or  members  of 
the  synod.  There  are  some  causes,  such  as  education,  evan- 
gelism, the  Freedmen  and  Women's  work  that  are  of  popu- 
lar interest,  and  a  stirring  address  on  these  subjects  is  al- 
ways appreciated.  Such  addresses  are  a  means  of  instruc- 
tion and  serve  to  awaken  popular  enthusiasm. 

Some  synods  have  adopted  the  plan  of  holding  an  an- 
nual Sunday  school  convention  during  the  evening  and  day 
preceding  the  meeting  of  the  synod.  These  endeavor  to 
bring  before  the  young  Sunday  school  workers,  the  very 
best  speakers  available,  on  the  subjects  to  be  discussed. 

The   arrangements   for  the   popular  addresses   should 
be  made  several  weeks  in  advance,  so  the  speakers  may  be 
prepared  and  the  people  be  duly  notified. 
BENEDICTION 

"May  the  God  of  peace  that  brought  again  from  the 
dead  our  Lord  Jesus,  the  great  shepherd  of  the  sheep, 
through  the  blood  of  the  everlasting  covenant,  make  you 
perfect  in  every  good  work  to  do  his  will,  working  in  you, 
that  which  is  well  pleasing  in  his  sight  through  Jesus 
Christ:  to  whom  be  dominion  and  glory  for  ever  and  ever. 
Amen. 


-5T" 

..??.  •  .      ?,,::-«>.• 

8^*  'sSIm! 

t&Pr^"'  * 

THE  SWEET  POTATO  FIELD,  1911 

Looking  north  from  the  Frisco  railway;  the  boys'  temporary  hall  at  the  right. 


[388] 


TWO  SETS  OF  PORTABLE  ROOFS  FOR  SWEET  POTATO  PITS 


1.  A  set  of  roofs  set  aside  on  their  edges  for  the  summer. 

2.  A  set  as  they  appear  when  set  over  a  pit    The  ends  are  closed  during  Winter.    Looking 

northeast  toward  the  rear  of  Elliott  Hall. 


PART  IV 

THE  BIBLE  IN  THE  PUBLIC 
SCHOOL  AND  NATION 


The  two  following  chapters,  relating  to  the  supreme 
importance  of  reading  the  Bible  daily  in  every  public  school 
of  the  land,  are  a  supplement  to  the  brief  discussion  of  this 
subject,  that  appears  in  the  introductory  part  of  this 
volume. 


''Truth  crushed  to  earth  shall  rise  again,— 

The  eternal  years  of  God  are  hers; 
But  Error,  wounded,  writhes  in  pain, 

And  dies  among  his  worshippers." 

"Truth  forever  on  the  scaffold; 

Wrong  forever  on  the  throne; 
Yet  that  scaffold  sways  the  future; 

And  behind  the  dim  unknown, 
Standeth  God,  within  the  shadow, 

Keeping  watch  above  his  own." 

Queen  Victoria  said  to  the  King  of  Siam:  "England  owes 
her  greatness  to  this  book— The  Open  Bible." 

The  Bible,  and  the  public  school  to  make  known  to  all  the 
children  its  moral  principles  and  religious  truths,  have 
brought  liberty,  greatness  and  enlargement  to  the  United 
States  of  America  and  Great  Britain. 

These  two  instrumentalities— the  open  Bible  and  public 
school— will  bring  the  needed  blessings  of  intelligence,  hap- 
piness and  prosperity  to  the  people  of  the.  United  States  of 
Mexico,  of  Central  and  South  America,  when  they  are  ac- 
corded a  fair  chance. 


XLVII 

THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOL 

AN  OUTGROWTH  OF  THE  REFORMATION.— PORTO  RICO.— 
MISSION  SCHOOLS.— COLONIAL  SCHOOLS.— MASSACHU- 
SETTS AND  CONNECTICUT.— NEW  YORK  AND  PENNSYL- 
VANIA.—THE  BIBLE,  THE  STANDARD  OF  MORALITY.— 
RISE  AND  FALL  OF  INTOLERANCE.— DANIEL  WEBSTER. 
—THE  BIBLE,  THE  FREEDMAN'S  BEST  BOOK.— THE 
CHURCH,  SUNDAY  SCHOOL,  PUBLIC  SCHOOL.— ENCOUR- 
AGING MOVEMENTS. 

"Education  is  the  cheap  defense  of  a  Nation." — Gar- 
field. 

"Wisdom  is  the  principal  thing,  therefore  get  wisdom. 
The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom." — Solomon. 

|HE  public  school  is  the  general  and  perman- 
ent agency  for  the  education  and  uplift  of 
the  colored  people.  Religious  and  indepen- 
dent schools  may  do  a  splendid  work  in  their 
several  localities,  but  the  public  school  is  in- 
tended to  be  state-wide.  It  alone  reaches  the  masses  of 
colored  children,  and  it  should  receive  its  due  share  of  the 
public  funds.  The  fact  that  they  have  not  received  any 
thing  like  a  fair  share  of  the  public  funds,  for  their  equip- 
ment and  support,  has  already  been  stated.  This,  to  a  great 
extent,  is  an  act  of  injustice.  Conditions  however  are  grad- 
ually improving.  They  are  made  better  as  a  good  use  is 
made  of  present  educational  facilities,  and  earnest  appeal 
is  made  for  more  and  better  ones.  A  vast  amount  of  self- 
sacrificing  work,  on  the  part  of  teachers  and  parents,  Is 

(391) 


392  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

needed  to  bring  the  schools  of  the  Freedmen  up  to  their 
proper  standard,  and  to  secure  them,  where  they  are  still 
needed  both  in  city  and  rural  district. 

The  Freedman  alone  cannot  do  all  that  is  needed,  to 
provide  adequate  educational  facilities  for  all  his  people ;  but 
there  is  so  much  that  may  be  done,  in  the  way  of  awakening 
local  interest,  supplying  local  deficiencies,  and  appealing  for 
more  and  better  equipment,  as  to  enlist  the  united  and  per- 
sistent co-operation  of  all  intelligent,  public  spirited  Freed- 
men. 

AN  OUTGROWTH  OF  THE  REFORMATION 
The  public  school  system,  in  the  United  States,  is  an 
outgrowth,  or  by-product  of  the  Protestant  Reformation  of 
the  sixteenth  century  in  Europe.  Harvard  college  was  es- 
tablished at  Cambridge,  near  Boston,  in  1639,  less  than 
twenty  years  after  the  first  arrival  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers. 
Its  object  was  to  provide  a  supply  of  trained  ministers  and 
christian  teachers,  to  meet  the  rapidly  growing  needs  of  the 
colony. 

The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  For- 
eign parts,  organized  in  London,  England,  in  1701,  aided  the 
colonists  in  the  establishment  of  free  schools,  by  sending 
them  donations  and  supplies  of  bibles  and  testaments.  Chris- 
tian teachers  were  employed  in  these  free  schools  and  two 
of  the  text  books  used  were  the  Bible  and  the  New  England 
primer.  This  primer  was  illustrated  with  Bible  pictures  and 
contained  the  shorter  catechism. 

These  colonial  free  schools  of  New  England  were  grad- 
ually extended  to  the  other  colonies,  but  not  without  calling 
forth  some  opposition  in  some  of  them,  especially  where 
there  was  opposition  to  the  use  of  the  Bible.  This  fact  has 
been  rendered  quite  memorable,  by  the  rather  unenviable 


THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  393 

remark  of  Governor  Berkeley  of  Virginia  in  1670,  to  the  ef- 
fect, "I  thank  God,  there  are  no  free  schools  in  Virginia." 

The  scattered  condition  of  the  population  rendered  dif- 
ficult and  greatly  retarded  the  progress  of  free  schools  in 
the  south.  Planters  were  often  widely  separated,  and  many 
of  them  preferred  to  send  their  children  away  to  school,  or 
employ  a  private  tutor  for  them.  They  did  not  care  to  pro- 
vide schools  for  the  Negroes. 

When,  by  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  the  colonies 
became  states,  the  protection  of  religion  and  encourage- 
ment of  education  were  left  as  they  had  been,  as  matters  to 
be  considered  by  the  legislatures  of  the  several  states.  As 
one  state  after  another  has  been  admitted  to  the  Union,  ex- 
tending it  over  a  vast  extent  of  country,  a  system  of  public 
education  has  been  adopted  in  each,  ranging  from  the  rural 
school  to  the  state  university.  The  system  in  every  state 
is  quite  complete  and  more  or  less  efficient  to  accomplish 
its  objects.  The  entire  system  is  due  to  the  presence  of  the 
Bible  in  our  land,  and  especially  during  the  formative  per- 
iod of  our  government.  The  states  have  deemed  it  neces- 
sary to  train  the  young  and  rising  generation  in  the  inter- 
est of  good  government  and  progress. 

As  the  church  of  the  Reformation  in  Europe,  and  of 
our  forefathers  in  New  England,  found  it  necessary  to  es- 
tablish academies,  colleges  and  theological  seminaries,  in 
order  to  train  a  constantly  increasing  supply  of  christian 
teachers,  statesmen  and  ministers,  the  states  have  real- 
ized that  it  is  their  duty  to  maintain  public  and  high  schools, 
in  order  to  have  an  intelligent  and  prosperous  citizenship; 
and  to  maintain  normal  schools  and  universities,  in  order  to 
provide  a  sufficient  number  of  professional  teachers,  leg- 
islators, jurists  and  efficient  captains  of  industry. 


394  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

The  system  of  public  education  in  all  the  states  is  one, 
of  which  every  citizen  of  the  land  may  well  be  proud,  and 
endeavor  to  take  every  possible  advantage  of  it  as  teachers, 
patrons  and  pupils. 

PORTO  RICO  1898-1913 

A  splendid  illustration  of  its  inestimable  value  has  just 
been  received  from  Porto  Rico.  In  1898  when  the  United 
States  received  the  transfer  of  Porto  Rico  from  Spain,  it 
had  been  for  centuries  under  the  control  of  Romanism.  There 
was  then  only  one  building  on  the  island,  specially  erected 
for  school  purposes,  and  more  than  eighty  per  cent  of  the 
population  could  neither  read  nor  write;  and  only  26,000 
children  had  been  enrolled  as  attending  school.  So  rapid 
has  been  the  progress  toward  enlightenment  and  a  better 
civilization  under  Protestant  American  rule,  that  at  the 
end  of  fifteen  years  there  are  40  school  buildings  and  162. 
000  children  are  enrolled  as  attending  school;  and  the  num- 
ber of  the  illiterate  has  been  reduced  from  80  to  14  per  cent. 
THE  BIBLE  AND  CHRISTIAN  TEACHERS 

One  is  now  ready  to  inquire,  "Wherein  does  our  splen- 
did system  of  public  education  differ  from  that  provided  by 
the  various  Protestant  denominations,  in  their  mission 
schools,  academies,  colleges  and  universities  ? 

Both  are  essential  to  the  well-being  of  the  state.  They 
are  two  strong  pillars  that,  supplementing  and  standing 
near  each  other,  support  the  power  and  promote  the  ma- 
terial prosperity  of  the  state.  Their  mutual  relation  is 
aptly  expressed,  by  the  sentiment  of  the  two  brothers  on 
the  shield  of  Kentucky,  "United  we  stand,  divided  we  fall." 
They  look  so  nearly  alike  in  buildings  and  equipment,  the 
passing  observer  sees  little  or  no  difference  in  their  out- 
ward appearance. 


THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  395 

Nevertheless  there  is  often  a  difference  in  their  objects 
and  products,  which  has  already  been  noted,  and  in  the 
means  employed  to  accomplish  these  objects.  This  differ- 
ence is  fundamental.  It  is  found  in  the  law  of  their  estab- 
lishment. 

In  the  admirable  system  of  public  education  in  the  state 
of  Iowa,  which  is  second  to  none  in  the  land  for  the  goodness 
and  greatness  of  its  beneficent  results,  there  is  found  the 
following  statute,  and  it  is  a  fair  illustration  of  similar  stat- 
utes in  other  states. 

"The  Bible  shall  not  be  excluded  from  any  public  school 
or  institution  in  this  state,  nor  shall  any  pupil  be  required  to 
read  it  contrary  to  the  wishes  of  his  parents  or  guardian." 
Sec.  1764. 

This  statute  takes  it  for  granted  the  Bible  is  in  the 
schools,  and  that  is  excellent;  it  has  also  a  concession  and 
the  latter  often  prevails.  Many  Jews  read  only  the  old 
Testament,  and  many  Catholics  out  of  regard  for  the  pope, 
a  foreign  potentate,  think  they  ought  not  to  read  any  part 
of  the  Bible.  The  state  is  a  secular  power  and  the  result, 
of  this  concession  to  religious  freedom,  is,  that  the  Bible 
and  the  Christian  teacher,  in  many  localities,  are  not  re- 
garded as  essential  features  of  its  educational  work. 

This  leaves  the  moral  character  and  relative  value  of 
our  public  schools,  to  a  considerable  extent,  to  the  caprice  of 
those  who  are  in  the  majority  or  authority,  as  directors  and 
teachers  in  any  particular  community.  In  christian  com- 
munities they  are  invariably  found  exerting  a  christian  in- 
fluence. 

The  Bible  and  the  christian  teacher  are  essential  for  the 
accomplishment  of  the  greatest  good.  These  are  seldom 
separated,  and  when  they  are  found  together  in  the  public 


396  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

school,  it  becomes  a  fountain  of  elevating  christian  influ- 
ences. This  privilige  is  enjoyed  by  many  of  our  communities, 
where  the  supply  of  christian  teachers  is  equal  to  the  de- 
mand. 

This  discussion  of  the  public  school  has  been  included 
here,  for  the  general  knowledge  of  christian  families 
among  the  colored  people.  Since  the  enactment  of  laws, 
limiting  the  teachers  in  the  public  schools  of  the  colored 
people,  to  those  of  the  "colored  persuasion,"  there  is  now, 
and  will  continue  to  be,  an  ever  increasing  demand  for  cap- 
able christian  teachers.  Christian  teachers  come  from 
christian  homes  and  christian  schools. 

COLONIAL  SCHOOLS 

The  historic  facts,  showing  that  the  open  Bible  has  been 
the  corner-stone  of  the  American  public  school  system,  have 
been  so  interesting  and  suggestive  to  the  author,  as  to  lead 
him  to  take  the  initiative,  in  effecting  and  maintaining  a 
local  Bible  society  in  Fonda,  and  to  make  the  distribution 
of  the  Scriptures  among  the  people,  a  special  feature  of  his 
ministry  there,  and  later  at  Oak  Hill  Academy.  The  hope 
is  indulged,  that  the  following  facts,  relating  to  the  place 
accorded  the  Bible  in  the  schools  of  the  colonies,  will  prove 
of  interest  to  every  reader,  especially  among  the  Freedmen. 

Our  fore  fathers  and  the  stalwart  statesmen  of  their 
day,  were  not  led  astray  by  the  "higher"  or  more  properly 
called  destructive  criticism  and  infidelity,  that  is  now  per- 
meating much  of  the  literature  of  our  day  to  the  great  injury 
of  all  who  are  influenced  by  it.  Indebted  to  the  Scriptures 
for  their  ideas  of  "life,  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happi- 
ness," and,  prizing  them  as  the  foundation  of  their  civil  and 
ecclesiastical  privileges,  they  manifested  both  their  sense 
of  obligation  to  them  and  dependence  upon  them,  by  mak- 


THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  397 

ing  them  the  corner  stone  of  every  institution  they  estab- 
lished. The  word  of  God  in  their  hand,  like  a  pillar  of  cloud 
by  day  and  of  fire  by  night,  led  them  to  locate  in  this  land, 
awakened  in  them  the  spirit  of  heroism  amid  all  their  pri- 
vations and  sufferings,  and  served  as  their  common  guide 
and  comforter,  in  all  their  struggles  and  progress. 

If  there  are  any  who  have  the  right  to  judge  and  to 
have  their  judgment  respected,  as  to  the  nature  of  the  edu- 
cation needed  in  this  republic,  surely  those  men  of  sagacity, 
patriotism,  piety  and  comprehensive  statesmanship,  who 
founded  both  the  system  of  education  and  the  Republic,  are 
among  the  number. 

During  the  Colonial  period  the  towns  were  little  re- 
publics, with  the  Bible  for  their  foundation,  and  their 
schools  were  established  for  general  instruction  in  that 
book.  The  exclusion  of  the  Bible  from  those  early  schools 
would  have  been  repugnant  to  their  founders.  They  re- 
garded the  Bible  not  merely  as  an  authoritative  book  in 
all  matters  of  conscience,  but  as  the  charter  of  their  liber- 
ty and  their  guide  to  the  independent  ownership  of  land. 
MASSACHUSETTS 

The  Colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  as  early  as  1647, 
less  than  twenty  years  from  the  date  of  their  first  charter, 
made  provision  by  law,  for  the  support  of  schools  at  the  pub- 
lic expense ;  for  instruction  in  reading  and  writing  in  every 
town  containing  fifty  families,  and  grammar  schools  in 
those  containing  one  hundred  families.  This  noble  foun- 
dation suggests  the  religious  foresight  that  laid  it.  The  pre- 
amble to  this  school  law  contained  the  following  motives: 
"It  being  one  chief  object  of  Satan  to  keep  men  from  the 
knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  as  in  former  times  keeping 
them  in  unknown  tongues,  therefore,  that  learning  may  not 


398  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

be  buried  in  the  graves  of  our  fore  fathers,  the  Lord  as- 
sisting our  endeavors,  it  is  ordered,"  etc. 

Horace  Mann,  secretary  of  the  Massachusetts  Board 
of  Education,  has  left  on  record  this  noble  testimony  for 
all  the  teachers  of  our  country.  "As  educators,  as  friends 
and  sustainers  of  the  common  school  system,  our  great 
duty  is  to  impart  to  the  children  of  the  commonwealth  the 
greatest  practicable  amount  of  useful  knowledge;  to  culti- 
vate in  them  a  sacred  regard  for  truth,  to  keep  them  un- 
spotted from  the  world ;  to  train  them  to  love  God  and  also 
their  fellow  men;  to  make  the  perfect  example  of  Jesus 
Christ  lovely  in  their  eyes ;  to  give  to  all  so  much  religious 
instruction,  as  is  compatible  with  the  rights  of  others  and 
the  gains  of  our  government,  so  that,  when  they  arrive  at 
the  years  of  maturity,  they  may  intelligently  enjoy  the  in- 
violable prerogatives  of  private  judgment  and  self-direction, 
the  acknowledged  birthright  of  every  human  being." 

Rtlfus  Choate.  the  eminent  statesman  and  jurist  in  one  of 
his  orations  very  emphatically  exclaimed ;  "Banish  the  Bible 
from  our  public  schools?  Never!  So  long  as  a  piece  of 
Plymouth  Rock  remains  big  enough  to  make  a  gun-flint." 
This  is  an  expression  of  true  patriotism  on  the  part  of  one, 
who  knew  well  the  history  and  cost  of  American  freedom. 
"He  is  the  freeman,  whom  the  truth  makes  free." 
CONNECTICUT 
In  the  Colony  of  Connecticut  as  early  as  1656.  explicit 
laws  were  added  to  the  general  law  by  which  the  schools 
were  first  established,  and  constables  were  required  to  take 
care  ."That  all  their  children  and  apprentices,  as  they  grow 
capable,  may  through  God's  blessing  attain  at  least  so  much 
as  to  be  able  to  read  the  Scriptures,  and  other  good  books  in 
the  English  tongue." 


THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  399 

"The  schools  of  this  state"  says  the  state  school  Jour- 
nal, "were  founded  and  supported  chiefly  for  the  purpose 
of  perpetuating  civil  and  religious  knowledge  and  liberty,  as 
the  early  laws  of  the  colony  explicitly  declare.  Those  laws, 
published  in  the  first  number  of  this  Journal  declare,  that 
the  chief  means  to  be  used  to  attain  these  objects,  was  the 
reading  of  the  Holy  Scriptures." 

This  enlightened  policy  of  the  Puritans,  in  regard  to  the 
establishment  of  free  schools,  for  the  general  dissemination 
of  a  knowledge  of  the  Bible  and  the  development  of  a  pure 
morality  among  the  young,  was  a  great  step  in  advance  of 
all  the  countries  in  the  old  world.  The  results  have  won- 
derfully justified  their  wisdom  and  forethought.  The 
schools  they  established,  having  the  Bible  as  a  universal 
text  book  and  basis  of  moral  instruction,  became  nurseries 
of  piety  and  knowledge.  The  very  thought  of  excluding  the 
Bible  from  schools,  they  had  established  with  great  sacri- 
fice for  its  special  study,  would  have  been  received  with  a 
shudder  of  horror. 

"The  interests  of  education,"  says  Chancellor  Kent, 
chief  justice  of  New  York,  "had  engaged  the  attention  of 
the  New  England  colonists,  from  the  earliest  settlement  of 
the  country,  and  the  system  of  common  and  grammar 
schools,  and  of  academical  and  collegiate  instruction,  was 
interwoven  with  the  primitive  views  of  the  Puritans. 
Everything  in  their  genius  and  disposition  was  favorable  to 
the  growth  of  freedom  and  learning.  They  were  a  grave, 
thinking  people,  having  a  lofty  and  determined  purpose. 
The  first  emigrants  had  studied  the  oracles  of  truth  as  a 
text  book,  and  they  were  profoundly  affected  by  the  plain 
commands,  awful  sanctions,  sublime  views,  hopes  and  con- 
solations, that  accompanied  the  revelation  of  life  and  im- 


400  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

mortality.  The  avowed  object,  of  their  emigration  to  New 
England,  was  to  enjoy  and  propagate  the  Reformed  faith,  in 
the  purity  of  its  discipline  and  worship.  They  intended  to 
found  republics  on  the  basis  of  Christianity,  and  to  secure 
religious  liberty,  under  the  auspices  of  a  commonwealth. 
With  this  primary  view,  they  were  early  led  to  make  strict 
provision  for  common  school  education,  and  the  religious 
instruction  of  the  people.  The  Word  of  God  was  at  that 
time  almost  the  sole  object  of  their  solicitude  and  studies, 
and  the  principal  design,  in  emigrating  to  the  banks  of  the 
Connecticut,  was  to  preserve  the  liberty  and  purity  of  the 
gospel.  We  meet  with  the  system  of  common  schools,  in 
the  earliest  of  the  Colonial  records.  Provision  was  made  for 
the  support  of  schools  in  each  town,  and  a  grammar  school 
in  each  county.  This  system  of  free  schools,  sustained  by 
law,  has  been  attended  with  momentous  results;  and  it  has 
communicated,  to  the  people,  the  blessings  of  order  and  se- 
curity, to  an  extent  never  before  surpassed  in  the  annals 
of  mankind." 

STATE  OF  NEW  YORK 

George  Clinton,  the  first  governor,  in  presenting  the 
matter  of  public  education  to  the  first  legislature  of  New 
York,  used  the  following  language:  "Neglect  of  the  educa- 
tion of  youth  is  one  of  the  evils  consequent  upon  the  evils 
of  war.  There  is  scarcely  anything  more  worthy  your  at- 
tention, than  the  revival  and  encouragement  of  seminaries 
of  learning;  and  nothing  by  which  we  can  more  satisfact- 
orily express  our  gratitude  to  the  Supreme  Being  for  his  past 
favors,  since  piety  and  virtue  are  generally  the  offspring  of 
an  enlightened  understanding." 

Later,  when  the  phrase  "Common  schools"  had  come 
into  use,  he  emphasized  morals  and  religion  as  their  fore- 


THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  401 

most  objects.  "The  advantage  to  morals,  religion,  liberty 
and  good  government,  arising  from  the  general  diffusion  of 
knowledge,  being  universally  admitted,  permit  me  to  rec- 
ommend this  subject  to  your  deliberate  attention." 

In  1804,  his  successor,  Governor  Lewis,  emphasized  the 
necessity  of  establishing  common  schools  in  the  following 
words:  "In  a  government  resting  on  public  opinion,  and 
deriving  its  chief  support  from  the  affections  of  the  peo- 
ple, religion  and  morality  cannot  be  too  sedulously  incul- 
cated. Common  schools,  under  the  guidance  of  respectable 
teachers,  should  be  established  in  every  village  and  the 
poor  be  educated  at  the  public  expense." 

In  1810,  his  successor,  Governor  Tompkins,  brought  the 
matter  anew  to  the  attention  of  the  legislature.  "I  cannot 
omit  inviting  your  attention  to  the  means  of  instruction  for 
the  rising  generation.  To  enable  them  to  perceive  and  duly 
estimate  their  rights,  to  inculcate  correct  principles,  and 
habits  of  morality  and  religion,  and  to  render  them  useful 
citizens,  a  competent  provision  for  their  education  is  all  es- 
sential." 

In  1811,  in  response  to  these  successive  appeals,  the  leg- 
islature of  New  York  appointed  five  commissioners,  to  re- 
port a  system  for  the  organization  and  establishment  of 
common  schools  to  carry  forward  the  educational  work,  that 
had  been  previously  maintained  by  the  voluntary  contribu- 
tions of  christian  people  in  their  various  communities. 

These  commissioners,  in  their  report,  recommending 
the  establishment  of  common  schools  for  the  state  of  New 
York,  expressed  their  own  sentiments  and  those  of  the  peo- 
ple they  represented,  as  follows : 

"The  people  must  possess  both  intelligence  and  virtue ; 
intelligence  to  perceive  what  is  right,  and  virtue  to  do  what 


402  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

is  right.  Our  republic  may  justly  be  said  to  be  founded  on 
the  intelligence  and  virtue  of  the  people,  and  to  maintain  it, 
'the  whole  force  of  education  is  required.'  The  establish- 
ment of  common  schools  appears  to  be  the  best  plan,  that 
can  be  devised,  to  disseminate  religion,  morality  and  learn- 
ing, throughout  a  whole  country." 

In  referring  to  the  branches  to  be  taught  there  is  add- 
ed in  this  report,  as  follows:  "Reading,  writing,  arithmetic 
and  the  principles  of  morality  (Bible)  are  essential  to  every 
person,  however  humble,  his  situation  in  life.  Morality  and 
religion  are  the  foundation  of  all  that  is  truly  great  and  good 
and  are  consequently  of  primary  importance." 

After  calling  attention  to  the  "absolute  necessity  of 
suitable  qualifications  on  the  part  of  the  master,"  the  re- 
port continues  in  regard  to  the  Bible,  as  one  of  the  books 
to  be  used: 

"Connected  with  the  introduction  of  suitable  books,  the 
commissioners  take  the  liberty  of  suggesting  that  some  ob- 
servations and  advice,  touching  the  reading  of  the  Bible  in 
the  schools,  might  be  salutary.  In  order  to  render  the 
sacred  volume  productive  of  the  greatest  advantage,  it 
should  be  held  in  a  very  different  light,  from  that  of  a  com- 
mon school  book.  It  should  be  regarded,  not  merely  as  a 
book  for  literary  improvement,  but  as  inculcating  great 
and  indispensable  moral  truths.  With  these  impressions, 
the  commissioners  are  induced  to  recommend  the  practice, 
introduced  into  the  New  York  Free  School,  of  having  select 
chapters  read  at  the  opening  of  the  school  in  the  morning 
and  the  like  at  the  close  in  the  afternoon.  This  is  deemed 
the  best  mode  of  preserving  the  religious  regard,  which  i> 
due  to  the  sacred  writings." 

This  admirable  report  closes    with    these    significant 


THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  403 

words:  "The  American  empire  is  founded,  on  the  virtue 
and  intelligence  of  the  people.  The  commissioners  cannot 
but  hope  that  that  Being,  who  rules  the  universe  in  justice 
and  mercy,  who  rewards  virtue  and  punishes  vice,  will  grac- 
iously deign  to  smile  benignly,  on  the  humble  efforts  of  a 
people  in  a  cause  purely  his  own;  and  that  he  will  manifest 
this  pleasure,  in  the  lasting  prosperity  of  our  country." 

The  public  school  system  of  New  York,  with  the  Bible 
as  its  corner  stone,  was  established  the  next  year,  18/2.  Ten 
years  later,  Governor  DeWitt  Clinton,  encouraging  their  lib- 
eral support,  said,  "The  first  duty  of  a  state  is  to  render  its 
citizens  virtuous,  by  intellectual  instruction  and  moral  dis- 
cipline, by  enlightening  their  minds,  purifying  their  hearts 
and  teaching  them  their  rights  and  obligations." 
STATE  OF  PENNSYLVANIA 

The  status  of  the  Bible,  in  the  early  schools  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, may  be  gathered  from  the  following  extract  from  a 
report,  approved  by  the  National  Convention  of  the  friends 
of  public  education,  that  met  in  Philadelphia  in  1850. 

"In  the  common  schools,  which  are  open  for  the  in- 
struction of  the  children  of  all  denominations  there  are 
many  whose  religious  education  is  neglected  by  their  par- 
ents, and  who  will  grow  up  in  vice  and  irreligion,  unless  they 
receive  it  from  the  common  school  teacher.  It  seems  to  us 
to  be  the  duty  of  the  state,  to  provide  for  the  education  of 
all  the  children,  morally  as  well  as  intellectually;  and  to 
require  all  teachers  of  youth,  to  train  the  children  in  the 
knowledge  and  practice  of  the  principles  of  virtue  and  piety. 

"The  Bible  should  be  introduced  and  read  in  all  the 
schools  in  our  land.  It  should  be  read  as  a  devotional  exer- 
cise, and  be  regarded  by  teachers  and  scholars,  as  the  text 
book  of  morals  and  religion.    The  children  should  early  be 


404  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

impressed  with  the  conviction,  that  it  was  written  by  in- 
spiration of  God,  and  that  their  lives  should  be  regulated 
by  its  precepts.  They  should  be  taught  to  regard  it,  as 
their  manual  of  piety,  justice,  veracity,  chastity,  temper- 
ance, benevolence  and  of  all  excellent  virtues.  They  should 
look  upon  this  book,  as  the  highest  tribunal  to  which  we 
can  appeal,  for  the  decision  of  moral  questions ;  and  its  plain 
declarations,  as  the  end  of  all  debate." 

It  was  about  the  year  1840,  that  the  Catholics  in 
Pennsylvania  began  to  manifest  opposition  to  the  reading 
of  the  Bible,  in  the  schools  of  that  state.  In  view  of  this 
opposition  the  board  of  directors,  for  the  Fourth  section  in 
Philadelphia,  adopted  the  following  resolutions: 

(1)  "That  we  will  ever  insist  on  the  reading  of  the 
Bible,  without  note  or  comment  in  our  public  schools ;  because 
we  believe  it  to  be  the  Word  of  God,  and  know  that  such  is 
the  will,  of  the  vast  majority  of  the  commonwealth. 

(2)  "That  we  look  on  the  effort  of  sectarians  to  di- 
vide the  school  fund,  as  an  insidious  attempt  to  lay  the  axe 
at  the  root  of  our  noble  public  school  system,  the  benefits 
of  which  are  every  day  manifested  in  the  training  of  our 
youth. 

(3)  "That  we  will  use  every  means  proper  for  chris- 
tians and  citizens  to  employ  to  maintain  our  present  school 
system,  and  to  insure  the  continuance  of  the  reading  of 
God's  holy  word  in  all  our  schools." 

BOARD  OF  NATIONAL  EDUCATION 

The  constitution  of  the  Board  of  National  Popular  Edu- 
cation contains  in  its  sixth  article,  the  following  pledge,  as 
one  required  of  teachers,  as  well  as  the  board.  "The  daily 
use  of  the  Bible  in  their  several  schools,  as  the  basis  of  that 


THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  405 

so  and  christian  education,  to  the  support  and  extension  of 
which,  the  board  is  solemnly  pledged." 

In  its  fifth  annual  report,  which  is  for  the  year  1852,  the 
the  necessity  of  a  free  and  open  Bible  in  our  common  schools 
was  emphasized  as  the  only  possible  way,  in  which  our 
nation  can  continue  to  be  self -governed.  The  Bible,  for  the 
masses,  is  God's  great  instrument  for  governing  men  and 
nations.  "There  is  but  one  alternative,"  said  Mr.  Sawtell, 
"God  will  have  men  and  nations  governed;  and  they  must 
be  governed  by  one  of  the  two  instruments,  an  open  Bible 
with  its  hallowed  influences,  or  a  standing  army  with  brist- 
ling bayonets.  One  is  the  product  of  God's  wisdom;  the 
other,  of  man's  folly;  and  that  nation  that  discards  or  will 
not  yield  to  the  moral  power  of  the  one,  must  submit  to  the 
brute  force  of  the  other.  The  open  Bible,  in  our  schools, 
is  the  secret  of  our  ability  to  govern  ourselves.  Take  from 
us  the  open  Bible  and,  like  Samson  shorn  of  his  locks,  we 
would  become  as  weak  as  any  other  people.  Take  away  the 
Bible,  and  like  Italy,  Austria  and  Russia,  we  would  need 
a  despot  on  a  throne,  and  a  standing  army  of  a  half -million 
to  keep  the  populace  in  subjection." 

JESUS,  THE  GREAT  TEACHER 
It  was  our  Lord  Jesus  himself,  who  said,  "Suffer  little 
children  to  come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not."  He  did  not 
suggest,  that  they  be  sent  for  moral  instruction  to  the 
schools  of  the  Pharisees,  or  the  unbelieving  Sadducees,  but 
that  they  should  come  to  him,  and  receive  his  word  and  bless- 
ing. He  saw  no  sectarianism  in  the  message  of  love,  life 
and  forgiveness,  he  brought  from  the  Father;  for  he  des- 
cribed it,  as,  "living  water,"  "living  bread  which  came  down 
from  heaven,"  "the  light  of  the  world,"  and  its  object,  "that 
they  might  have  life  more  abundantly."    He  knew,  it  was  a 


406  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

matter  of  utmost  importance  to  every  individual,  to  receive 
that  message  in  childhood  and  youth. 

THE  BIBLE,  THE  STANDARD  OF  MORALITY 

The  Word  of  God  is  supreme  in  all  matters  of  con- 
science or  morality.  The  man,  whose  conscience  is  in  har- 
mony with  the  Word  of  God,  must  be  recognized  as  on  the 
side  of  God  and  right.  Elijah  on  Mount  Carmel,  having  on- 
ly the  Word  of  God,  prevails  over  four  hundred  misguided 
prophets  of  Baal.  When  those,  who  were  prejudiced  against 
the  gospel  in  the  days  of  Peter,  imprisoned  and  undertook  to 
silence  him  and  others,  he  gave  the  right  answer,  when  he 
said,  "We  ought  to  obey  God  rather  than  men."  Peter  and 
Elijah,  teaching  the  Word  of  God,  were  progressive  up- 
builders  of  the  Kingdom  of  God,  while  their  suppressors 
were  merely  blind  opposers  and  destructionists.  The  en- 
lightened consciences  of  Peter  and  Elijah  were  of  more  value 
and  more  to  be  respected,  than  those  of  the  hosts  of  souls, 
in  the  darkness  of  unbelief,  arrayed  against  them.  Whilst 
the  work  of  Peter  and  the  apostles  tended  to  make  the 
world  better,  and  better  men  of  all  their  opposers,  the  work 
of  the  latter,  tended  to  put  a  real  check,  on  the  cause  of  hu- 
man progress.  Those,  who  opppose  the  reading  of  the 
Scriptures  in  the  public  schools  of  this,  or  any  other  land, 
commit  the  very  same  folly. 

The  Bible  is  the  Word  of  God  to  all  mankind.  It  is  his 
provision  for  our  intellectual,  moral  and  spiritual  natures, 
as  the  light,  air,  water  and  food  have  been  provided  for  our 
physical  natures.  It  was  originally  written  in  the  language 
of  the  people  to  whom  it  was  given,  the  Old  Testament  in 
Hebrew  to  the  Hebrews;  and  the  New  Testament  in  Greek 
to  the  Greek  speaking  Jews,  in  the  time  of  Christ. 

Our  English  version  was  made  from  the  original  lang- 


Home  of  the  late  Caroline  Prince. 


New  Home,  Mrs.  Sam  Harris. 

Representative  Homes  of  Choctaw  Ereedmen,   near  Oak  Hill. 


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THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  407 

uages  in  the  time  of  King  James,  and  it  is  an  error  in  judg- 
ment to  call  it,  either  a  Protestant  or  Sectarian  Bible.  There 
is,  indeed,  a  sectarian  version  of  the  Bible  in  use  in  this 
country.  It  is  printed  in  the  latin  language,  the  language  of 
pagan  Rome,  which  the  common  people  no  longer  use  or  un- 
derstand. 

It  seems  a  queer  freak  of  our  human  nature,  that  those 
who  use  the  Bible  in  a  dead,  foreign  language,  unsuited  for 
use  in  our  public  schools,  should  call  our  English  version  of 
the  scriptures  a  sectarian  book,  and  then  oppose  its  use  in 
our  public  schools. 

Our  English  version  of  the  Scriptures  is  no  more  a  sec- 
tarian book,  than  are  the  ordinary  books  on  astronomy, 
geology,  botany,  and  natural  history.  Nevertheless  when 
Romanists  oppose  its  use,  others  of  all  sorts  in  the  com- 
munity, who  like  them  need  its  gracious  message  of  light, 
life  and  love,  but  instead  profess  not  to  regard  it  as  a  mes- 
sage from  God,  are  liable  to  unite  with  them  in  their  un- 
fortunate opposition. 

No  one  has  an  inherent  right,  to  exclude  the  Bible  from 
the  public  schools  of  America.  As  the  one  authoritative  book 
of  God,  it  ought  to  be  there.  As  the  charter  of  American  lib- 
erty, and  the  corner  stone  of  our  system  of  public  education 
and  jurisprudence,  it  ought  to  be  there.  No  one  has  any 
more  right  to  exclude  the  Bible  from  the  public  schools  of 
America,  than  he  has  to  exclude  the  sun,  for  both  are  God's 
own  provision  of  light.  It  is  intended  of  God  to  be  the  one  un- 
changing standard  of  morality  and  purity,  for  old  and 
young;  and  to  be  as  free  for  all,  as  the  common  air  that 
we  breathe.  Its  use,  at  an  early  age,  tends  to  develop  the 
conservative  principles  of  virtue  and  knowledge,  which  serve 
as  the  world's  best  protectors  against  ignorance,  barbarism 
and  vice. 


408  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

RISE  AND  FALL  OF  INTOLERANCE 
Excluding  the  Bible,  from  the  public  schools  of  Ameri- 
ca, is  an  old  world  innovation.  In  some  countries  of  Europe, 
books  on  science,  literature  or  philosophy  have  not  been  per- 
mitted to  be  published,  without  the  previous  approval  of  the 
government.  "The  Bible  itself,  the  common  inheritance,  not 
merely  of  Christendom,  but  of  the  world,  has  been  put  ex- 
clusively under  the  control  of  government,  and  has  not  been 
allowed  to  be  seen,  heard,  or  read,  except  in  a  language  un- 
known to  the  common  inhabitants  of  the  country.  To  pub- 
lish a  translation  in  the  language  of  the  people,  has  been  in 
former  times  a  flagrant  offense."  (Story  on  the  Constitution, 
page  263.) 

The  popes,  as  early  as  the  eighth  century,  condemned 
the  circulation  and  reading  of  all  writings  unfriendly  to 
the  papacy.  In  1515,  after  the  art  of  printing  had  been  in- 
vented, the  papal  decree  was  issued,  "That  no  book  should 
be  printed  without  previous  examination  by  the  proper  ec- 
clesiastical authority,  the  Inquisition.  The  books  prohib- 
ited by  it  included  the  bible  in  the  English  and  German  lan- 
guages, and  all  the  books  published  by  Luther,  Calvin, 
Zwingli  and  other  Reformers.  While  the  Reformers  were 
called,  heresiarchs,  they  proved  themselves  to  be  the  world's 
greatest  benefactors,  by  giving  the  people  the  Bible. 

When  Roman  Catholicism  was  the  state  religion  of 
Italy,  France,  Spain  and  Britain,  it  was  intolerant,  and  by 
massacres  and  persecutions  endeavored  to  suppress  the 
reading  of  the  Bible  and  also  its  publication  in  the  language 
of  the  people. 

In  1531,  when  the  bishops  were  almost  universally 
statesmen,  lawyers  or  diplomats.  Henry,  the  King  of  Eng- 
land, by  an  act  of  parliament,  which  consisted  of  a  convoca- 


THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  409 

tion  of  the  clergy,  became  the  recognized  head  of  the  church 
in  England,  instead  of  the  pope  at  Rome.  The  principle  now 
begins  to  prevail,  that  "Truth  possesses  the  power  to  defend 
itself."  As  a  result  Wiclif,  Tyndale,  Sir  Thomas  More, 
Thomas  Cromwell,  Archbishop  Cranmer,  Miles  Coverdale 
and  others,  with  the  approval  of  the  king  successively,  en- 
courage the  translation,  publication  and  circulation  of  the 
Scriptures  among  the  clergy  and  people.  It  was  at  this  time 
and  in  this  way,  that  the  principle  of  toleration  in  matters 
of  religion  had  its  beginning,  and  the  first  check  was  put 
upon  the  cruel  intolerance  of  the  church  of  Rome  in  Eng- 
land. The  church  of  England,  episcopal  in  form  then  be- 
came the  established,  or  state  church;  and  it  is  so  still,  but 
the  king  is  no  longer  the  head  of  it  and  the  parliament  no 
longer  consists  of  the  clergy,  as  in  the  days  of  King  James. 
It  was  in  1566  that  the  Puritans,  followers  of  Calvin  and 
other  foreign  reformers,  withdrew  from  the  established 
church  of  England,  because  they  did  not  approve  all  the 
forms  and  ceremonies,  then  required  in  the  public  worship 
of  the  established  church. 

The  official  act  of  religious  toleration  in  England  was 
passed  during  the  reign  of  William  III,  1689-1702,  (and 
Mary),  who,  as  the  prince  of  Orange  and  founder  of  the 
Dutch  republic  in  1680,  had  previously  distinguished  him- 
self as  the  friend  of  liberty. 

Roger  Williams,  founder  of  the  Colony  of  Rhode  Island 
1636  to  1647,  established  there  the  first  government  in 
America,  upon  the  principle  of  universal  toleration.  William 
Penn,  founder  and  proprietor  of  Pennsylvania,  in  1684  in- 
corporated the  same  principle  in  the  government  of  that 
colony;  and,  as  the  expression  of  his  own  views  and  senti- 
ments,  respecting  religion   and  civil  government.     These 


410  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

men  exercised  government,  by  instilling  into  the  minds  of 
the  people  the  principles  of  religion,  morality,  forbearance 
and  friendship.  Americans  do  well  to  cherish  the  memory 
of  these  men,  who  wrought  so  nobly  a  century  before  the 
American  Revolution. 

NOBLE  DEFENSE  BY  DANIEL  WEBSTER 

Our  American  public  school  system  represents  the  ac- 
cumulated wisdom  of  many  generations  of  Bible  readers, 
and  in  promoting  it  we  preserve  for  future  generations  the 
foundations  so  wisely  laid  in  the  earlier  years  of  our  history. 

Daniel  Webster,  one  of  the  advocates  of  the  system 
and  early  defenders  of  the  Bible  in  it,  stated  its  fundamental 
principle  when  he  said,  "In  all  cases  there  is  nothing,  that 
we  look  for  with  more  certainty,  than  this  general  prin- 
ciple, that  Christianity  is  part  of  the  law  of  this  land."  He 
explained  its  object  and  motive  in  the  following  passage, 
which  is  worthy  to  be  repeated  in  every  generation. 

"We  seek  to  educate  the  people.  We  seek  to  improve 
men's  moral  and  religious  condition.  In  short,  we  seek  to 
work  upon  mind  as  well  as  upon  matter;  and  this  tends  to 
enlarge  the  intellect  and  heart  of  man.  We  know  that  when 
we  work  upon  materials,  immortal  and  imperishable,  that 
they  will  bear  the  impress  which  we  place  upon  them, 
through  endless  ages  to  come.  If  we  work  upon  marble,  it 
will  perish;  if  we  work  upon  brass,  time  will  efface  it.  If 
we  rear  temples,  they  will  crumble  to  the  dust.  But,  if  we 
work  on  men's  immortal  minds — if  we  imbue  them  with 
high  principles,  with  the  just  fear  of  God,  and  of  their  fel- 
low men, — we  engrave  on  those  tablets,  something  which 
no  time  can  efface,  but  which  will  brighten  and  brighten  to 
all  eternity." 

The  exclusion  of  the  Bible  from  the  public  schools  in 


THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  411 

New  York  state  had  its  rise  in  1838  and  concerning  this 
movement,  Mr.  Webster  said,  "This  is  a  question  which  in 
its  decision  is  to  influence  the  happiness,  the  temporal  and 
the  eternal  welfare  of  one  hundred  millions  of  human  beings, 
alive  and  to  be  born  in  this  land.  Its  decision  will  give  a  hue 
to  the  character  of  our  institutions.  There  can  be  no  char- 
ity in  that  system  of  instruction  from  which  the  Bible,  the 
basis  of  Christianity,  is  excluded." 

The  public  school,  with  daily  instruction  to  the  young 
in  the  Bible,  is  an  American  system  of  education.  It  had 
its  origin  in  the  belief  of  its  founders,  that  general  instruc- 
tion in  the  Bible  was  essential  to  the  permanency  of  that 
freedom,  civil  and  religious,  and  that  independent  owner- 
ship of  land,  they  came  to  America  to  enjoy.  If  the  early 
Pilgrims,  more  particularly  those  of  Massachusetts  and  Con- 
necticut, had  not  struggled  and  toiled  for  this  great  object, 
and  if  they  had  not  been  immediately  succeeded  by  men, 
who  imbibed  a  large  portion  of  the  same  spirit,  the  free 
school  system  of  New  England  would  never  have  been  ex- 
tended to  all  parts  of  our  land.  We  have  inherited  the  public 
school  through  the  Bible,  and  the  feeling  prevails,  that  only 
by  maintaining  a  general  knowledge  of  the  Bible,  among  the 
young  and  rising  generation  through  it  can  the  countless 
blessings,  that  flow  from  it,  be  conserved  for  future  gener- 
ations. 

THE  FREEDMAN'S  BEST  BOOK 
These  historic  facts,  relating  to  the  original  establish- 
ment of  free  schools  among  the  colonies,  during  the  period 
of  the  early  settlement  of  this  country,  and  the  place  ac- 
corded the  Bible  in  them  by  their  faithful  founders,  are  well 
suited  to  be  suggestive,  and  to  prove  an  inspiration  to  every 
friend  of  freedom,  to  promote  the  good  cause  of  maintaining 


412  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

the  daily  reading  of  the  Bible,  in  all  of  our  public  schools  at 
the  present  time. 

Christian  parents  among  the  Freedmen,  having  child- 
ren that  are  bright  and  studious,  are  encouraged  by  these 
facts,  to  train  one  or  more  of  them  to  be  teachers  and  help- 
ers, in  promoting  the  educational  and  moral  uplift  of  the 
race.  All  are  encouraged  to  co-operate  with  your  teachers, 
in  making  the  public  school  of  your  neighborhood,  an  at- 
tractive and  inviting  place  for  your  own  and  your  neigh- 
bor's chlidren. 

Send  the  children  regularly  to  school  during  the  term, 
for  the  terms  are  short.  Do  all  you  can,  as  long  as  you  live, 
to  supply  your  public  schools  with  bibles  and  christian  teach- 
ers, in  order  that  they  may  attain  the  highest  degree  of  ef- 
ficiency, and  bring  the  greatest  amount  of  public  good,  to 
you  and  your  children.  Remember,  that  the  Bible  is  the 
mother  of  the  public  school  and  that  it  awakens  a  desire 
for  more  knowledge,  drives  back  the  darkness  of  ignorance 
and  inspires  the  courage  to  do  right. 

Many  have  been  led  astray  by  reading  bad  books  and 
papers,  but  none  from  reading  the  Bible.  Its  blessings  of 
comfort  and  guidance  to  individuals,  and  of  civil  and  re- 
ligious liberty  to  nations,  have  come  to  us  like  the  dew  of 
Hermon,  that  made  "the  wilderness  and  solitary  place  to  be 
glad,  and  the  desert  to  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose." 

In  view  of  these  important  historic  facts,  it  is  certain- 
ly strange  that  any  parents,  who  permit  their  children  to 
read  all  sorts  of  trashy  and  worthless  books,  without  pro- 
test, should  pretend  they  do  not  want  them  to  read  the  Bible, 
the  one  infallible  and  incomparable  book,  that  does  not"be- 
come  old  and  out-of-date  like  the  best  of  other  books,  but 
is  as  fresh  and  life  giving  to  day  as  twenty  centuries  ago. 


THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  413 

The  number  of  those,  who  have  opposed  the  reading 
of  the  Bible  in  the  public  schools  have  comprised  but  a  small 
part  of  the  entire  population  of  our  land,  and  they  have  al- 
ways represented  that  part  of  it,  that  have  most  needed  its 
enlightening  and  uplifting  influence. 

One  million  immigrants  from  other  lands  are  now  com- 
ing to  our  shores  every  year,  that  they  may  enjoy  the  civil 
and  religious  privileges,  that  have  here  been  secured, 
through  the  influence  of  the  Bible.  One  of  their  greatest 
needs,  immediately  on  their  arrival,  is  faithful  instruction 
in  the  living  and  eternal  truths  of  God's  Holy  Word,  that 
they  may  know  and  understand  the  genius  or  spirit  of  our 
American,  civil  and  religious  institutions. 

There  is  urgent  need  to  day  for  more  of  that  holy  com- 
pulsion that  Jesus  exercised,  when,  surrounded  by  a  lot  of 
hungry  people,  he  required  the  disciples  to  "Make  the  men  sit 
down,"  and  then  added,  "Give  ye  them  to  eat." 

THE  CHURCH  AND  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

When  Jesus  said,  "The  son  of  man  came  not  to  be  min- 
istered unto  but  to  minister,"  he  gave  to  the  world  one  of 
its  clearest  visions  of  the  Kingdom  of  God,  and  his  own,  the 
highest  ideal  of  life,  the  one  that  produces  the  noblest  type 
of  manhood. 

It  is  the  great  business  of  the  church  to  bring  all  its 
children  and  youth  to  this  true  conception  of  life,  and  it 
aims  to  do  this  through  the  christian  home,  the  Sunday 
school,  young  peoples'  meetings  and  church  services.  But 
these  alone  are  not  adequate,  to  reach  all  the  children  and 
youth  of  the  land,  including  those  of  the  one  million  immi- 
grants, arriving  annually  from  other  lands. 

Margaret  Slattery  in  the  Charm  of  the  Impossible  has 
very  truly  remarked: 


414  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

"Men  of  all  creeds  and  of  none  agree,  that  religious  in- 
struction ought  to  be  given,  to  all  the  children  and  youth  of 
the  laiad,  but  the  task  of  attempting  it  is  a  tremendous  one, 
and  the  best  manner  of  doing  it  is  not  clear  to  all.  Some  say 
religious  instruction  should  be  given  in  the  home.  This  is 
usually  done,  in  the  intelligent  christian  home ;  but  there  are 
many  homes,  where  it  is  impossible,  and  others  indisposed. 
The  fact  that  the  church  has  seen,  as  if  with  a  new  vision, 
the  method  of  Jesus,  the  Great  Teacher  of  all  men,  reveals 
itself  more  clearly  in  the  Sunday  school,  than  in  any  other 
department  of  its  work.  There  it  attempts  the  task  of  re- 
ligious education  by  instruction  from  the  Bible,  and  en- 
deavors to  inspire  the  child,  youth  and  man  with  the  purest 
and  greatest  motives  for  action." 

MAKE  THE  PUBLIC,  A  BIBLE  SCHOOL 

There  is,  however,  no  instrumentality  in  our  country, 
so  convenient  and  favorable  for  giving  all  the  children  and 
youth  of  our  land  a  general  knowledge  of  the  Bible,  as  the 
public  school.  The  Bible  is  the  embodiment  of  all  lofty  ideals, 
and  when  it  is  daily  read  in  all  of  our  schools,  there  is  in 
them  a  uniform  standard  of  morals.  Schools,  that  neglect 
or  suppress  the  daily  reading  of  the  Bible,  do  not  keep  the 
vision  of  those  attending  them  on  the  christian  ideal,  or  de- 
velop the  christian  motive  in  them,  during  the  most  im- 
pressionable period  of  their  lives. 

The  Bible  is  the  light  of  the  intellect,  the  fore  runner 
of  civilization,  the  charter  of  true  liberty  and  secret  of  na- 
tional greatness.  The  Bible  is  the  one,  all-important  book 
for  the  Freedmen  and  their  children.  Its  weekly  use,  in 
the  church  and  Sunday  school,  is  to  be  appreciated  and  pro- 
moted; but  the  home  and  the  public  school  are  the  golden 


THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  415 

places,  where  its  daily  use  should  be  required,  and  the  op- 
portunity be  magnified. 

American  patriotism  relies  on  the  public  school,  con- 
ducted with  moral  and  social  aims,  as  the  one  preeminent, 
assimilating  agency  to  bind  together  the  older  and  newer 
elements  of  our  population,  in  a  common  devotion  to  our 
common  country.  It  has  been  "America's  greatest  civil 
glory  and  chief  civil  hope."  The  enthusiasm,  that  led  to  its 
establishment,  was  well  nigh  sacred.  It  needs  to  day  the 
support  of  a  public  spirit,  that  will  insist  on  the  restoration 
of  the  daily  reading  of  the  Bible,  as  the  basis  of  moral  in- 
struction in  it. 

Concerning  its  educational  value  President  Woodrow 
Wilson  has  recently  very  truthfully  said,  "The  educational 
value  of  the  Bible  is,  that  it  both  awakens  the  spirit  to  its 
finest  and  only  true  action,  and  acquaints  the  student  with 
the  noblest  body  of  literature  in  existence;  a  body  of  liter- 
ature, having  in  it  more  mental  and  imaginative  stimulus, 
than  any  other  body  of  writings.  A  man  has  deprived  him- 
self of  the  best  there  is  in  the  world,  who  has  deprived  him- 
self of  the  Bible." 

How  true  to  day  is  Paul's  description  of  the  people  that 
were  living  without  the  Bible  in  his  day.  He  describes  them 
as  "filled  with  all  unrighteousness,  fornication,  wickedness, 
covetousness,  maliciousness;  full  of  envy,  murder,  deceit, 
haters  of  God,  despiteful,  proud,  boasters,  inventors  of  evil 
things,  disobedient  to  parents,  without  understanding,  un- 
merciful."* 

Our  own  and  every  heathen  land  furnishes  abundant 
proofs,  that  whenever  the  gracious  promises  of  the  Bible 
are  gratefully  received,  the  proud  become  humble,  the  dis- 

*Rom.  1.  27. 


416  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

obedient  dutiful,  the  drunkard  sober,  the  dishonest,  honor- 
able; the  profligate,  prudent;  and  the  miserable  become 
happy.  Nothing  else  has  ever  done  this,  but  the  gospel  of 
Christ  always  does  it,  when  gratefully  received. 

ENCOURAGING  MOVEMENTS 

The  legislature  of  Pennsylvania,  in  1913,  restored  the 
use  of  the  Bible  in  the  public  schools  of  that  state,  by  a  stat- 
ute requiring  the  daily  reading  of  at  least  ten  verses  of  the 
Bible,  in  the  hearing  of  all  the  pupils  under  every  teacher, 
and  making  a  neglect  of  this  duty  a  proper  cause,  for  the 
suspension  of  the  teacher. 

The  National  Reform  Association  at  its  last  meeting  in 
Portland,  Oregon,  in  1913,  resolved  to  raise  $25,000,  for  the 
purpose  of  undertaking  to  place  a  copy  of  the  Bible,  in  every 
public  school  in  the  land,  from  which  it  may  have  been  ex- 
cluded ;  and  to  aid  in  keeping  it,  where  it  is  now  adopted,  as 
the  standard  of  moral  instruction. 

Commissioner  Claxton,  in  welcoming  the  members  of 
the  council  of  church  Boards  of  Education,  representing 
fourteen  denominations,  at  their  third  meeting  in  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  in  January  1914,  very  correctly  stated  the  lead- 
ership of  the  church  in  the  educational  work  of  our  country, 
and  the  importance  of  its  continued  relation  to  it,  in  the  fol- 
lowing language : 

"The  church  has  been  the  leader  in  educational  devel- 
opment, at  a  time  when  the  state  was  unable  and  unwilling 
to  pay  the  large  cost  for  education.  Honor  should  be  given 
the  church  for  its  splendid,  formative  work  in  education, 
during  the  time  the  state  was  occupied  in  building  up  its 
political  relations.  It  is  indeed  a  happy  thing,  that  the 
church  is  so  deeply  interested  in  education,  as  to  maintain 
national  agencies,  known  as  boards." 


CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN  417 

In  regard  to  the  secondary  schools  he  prophetically 
added,  "The  day  will  come,  when  the  Bible  will  be  read  in  the 
public  schools,  just  as  any  other  book.  There  is  no  good  rea- 
son, why  the  Bible  should  not  have  its  rightful  place,  in  our 
public  school  curriculum." 

The  Gideons,  an  organization  among  traveling  sales- 
men, are  endeavoring  to  place  a  copy  of  the  Bible  in  every 
bedroom  of  all  the  public  hotels  in  the  United  States.  At 
the  end  of  1913  they  had  supplied  bibles  for  220,000  rooms, 
and  had  reached  all  but  three  states,  Utah,  Nevada  and 
Washington. 

These  are  movements  in  the  right  direction  and  sug- 
gest the  proper  attitude  of  every  christian  parent,  teacher 
and  legislator.  Do  not  hesitate  to  advocate  the  daily  read- 
ing of  the  Bible,  and  the  employment  of  christian  teachers, 
in  all  the  public  schools,  provided  for  the  Freedman  and  his 
children. 

"There's  a  dear  and  precious  book, 

Though  it's  worn  and  faded  now, 
Which  recalls  those  happy  days  of  long  ago ; 

When  I  stood  at  mother's  knee 

With  her  hand  upon  my  brow, 
And  I  heard  her  voice  in  gentle  tones  and  low. 

Blessed  book,  precious  book 
On  thy  dear  old  tear-stained  leaves  I  love  to  look ; 

Thou  art  sweeter  day  by  daj% 

As  I  walk  the  narrow  way, 
That  leads  at  last,  to  that  bright  home  above." 

— M.  B.  Williams. 


14 


XLVIII 

A  HALF-CENTURY  OF  BIBLE  SUPPRES- 
SION IN  A  NATION,  OR  FRANCE,  DUR- 
ING   THE    PERIOD,    1572    TO     1795. 

THEISM,  DEISM,  PHILOSOPHISM.— APPEAL  FOR  BREAD.— 
MORAL  AND  FINANCIAL  BANKRUPTCY.— FIRST  POPULAR 
ASSEMBLY.— REPUBLIC  OF  FRANCE.— REIGN  OF  TER- 
ROR.—PEOPLE  UNPREPARED  FOR  FREEDOM.— INSUR- 
RECTION OF  WOMEN.— RESULTS.— LAND  OF  JOHN  CAL- 
VIN.—LAFAYETTE.— ROMANISM,  BEHIND  THE  TIMES.— 
HUMAN  REASON,  BLIND.— LIGHT,  LIFE  AND  LIBERTY. 

"The  entrance  of  thy  word  giveth  light,  it  giveth  un- 
derstanding to  the  simple.  Open  thou  mine  eyes,  that  I 
may  behold  wondrous  things  out  of  thy  law." — David. 

N  American  citizen  does  not  need  to  go  to 
far-off  India  or  Africa  to  learn  how  people 
live  without  the  Bible.  Every  heathen  na- 
tion, living  in  ignorance  and  degradation 
furnishes  a  practical  illustration.  This  il- 
lustration may  be  found  by  visiting  the  countries  on  the 
other  side  of  the  southern  boundary  line  of  the  United 
States,  where  for  several  centuries  under  dominant  catholic 
influence  the  Bible  has  been  a  forbidden  book  in  the  few 
public  educational  institutions  of  the  country.  The  result 
may  now  be  seen  in  the  general  prevalence  of  ignorance,  pov- 
erty and  oppression ;  the  ownership  of  land  limited  to  a  com- 
paratively few  persons,  corruption  and  rapacity  on  the  part 
of  public  officials,  general  improvement  checked  and  the 
country  impoverished  by  frequent  insurrections  and  revolu- 

(418) 


HALF-CENTURY  OF  BIBLE  SUPPRESSION      419 

tions,  that  indicate  incapacity  for  stable  and  prosperous  self- 
government. 

France,  however,  once  made  the  actual  experiment  of 
suppressing  the  Bible  and  Bible  readers  for  two  centuries, 
during  the  period  from  1572  to  1795,  while  the  Reformation 
of  the  16th  century  was  progressing  in  Germany,  Switzer- 
land, Britain  and  other  countries. 

Thomas  Carlyle,  in  his  history  of  the  French  Revolu- 
tion, that  occurred  1788  to  1795,  has  very  dramatically  por- 
trayed scenes  and  incidents,  which  become  pregnant  with 
new  and  thrilling  interest,  when  briefly  summarized  to  il- 
lustrate the  folly  and  sad  consequences  of  suppressing  the 
Bible  and  Bible  readers  in  that  nation.  The  historic  value 
of  these  incidents  should  make  this  story  interesting  and 
instructive  to  every  student  and  teacher. 

ATHEISM,  DEISM,  PHILOSOPHISM 

Louis  XV,  king  of  France,  at  the  end  of  a  reign  of  fifty- 
nine  years,  dies  unwept  and  unmourned  in  1774.  Affirming 
there  is  no  God  or  heaven,  at  the  beginning  of  his  long  reign, 
and  not  permitting  any  of  his  courtiers  to  mention  the 
word  "death"  in  his  presence,  he  abandons  himself  to  a  life 
of  forbidden  pleasure,  humiliates  and  scandalizes  the  peo- 
ple o'f  France  instead  of  enlightening  and  elevating  them. 
He  inherits  and  maintains  the  tyrannous  and  oppressive 
feudal  system,  that  prevents  the  common  people  from  ac- 
quiring ownership  of  land.  His  career  has  been  described, 
"as  an  hideous  abortion  and  mistake  of  nature,  the  use  and 
meaning  of  which  is  not  yet  known."  The  persecution  of 
Bible  readers,  or  Protestants,  is  begun  with  a  general  mas- 
sacre at  Paris,  on  the  anniversary  of  Saint  Bartholomew 
in  1572.  Those  who  escape  the  bloody  horrors  of  that  occa- 
sion, are  commanded  to  emigrate  from  France,  on  pain  of 


420  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

death.    The  following  events  occur,  during  the  latter  part 
of  the  last  half  century,  preceding  the  French  Revolution. 

The  leaders  in  thought  are  the  shameless  and  selfish 
infidels  and  deists,  Voltaire,  Rosseau,  Robespierre  and 
others  like  them.  Paris  admires  her  deistical  authors  and 
makes  them  the  objects  of  hero-worship.  They  are  called 
"Philosophs,"  and  Bible  readers  must  not  stand  in  their 
way.  Philosophism  sits  joyful  in  glittering  saloons,  is 
the  pride  of  nobles  and  promises  a  coming  millennium 
Crushing  and  scattering  the  last  elements  of  the  Protestant 
Reformation,  they  blindly  and  falsely  talk  of  a  Reformed 
France.  The  people  applaud,  instead  of  suppressing  these 
false  teachers.  The  highest  dignitaries  of  the  church 
waltz  with  quack-prophets,  pick  pockets  and  public  women. 
The  invisible  world  of  Satan  is  displayed  and  the  smoke 
of  its  torment  goes  up  continually.  No  provision  is  made 
for  the  general  education  of  the  common  people  and  yet  the 
government  is  fast  becoming  bankrupt. 

In  1774  Louis  XVI  succeeds  his  father,  as  the  last 
King  of  France.  He  is  youthful,  uneducated,  imbecile.  He 
is  wedded  to  a  giddy  superficial  queen.  Both  are  infidels 
and  incapable  of  any  intelligent  acts  of  government.  With 
imbecility  and  credulity  on  the  throne,  corruption  continues 
to  prevail  among  high  and  low.  Instead  of  individual  thrift 
and  general  prosperity,  poverty  and  famine  prevail  through- 
out the  land. 

APPEAL  FOR  BREAD 

In  1775,  impelled  by  a  scarcity  of  bread,  a  vast  multi- 
tude from  the  surrounding  country  gather  around  the  royal 
palace  at  Versailles,  their  great  number,  sallow  faces  and 
squalid  appearance  indicating  widespread  wretchedness 
and  want.     Their  appeal  for    royal    assistance  is    plainly 


HALF-CENTURY  OF  BIBLE  SUPPRESSION      421 

written,  in  "legible  hieroglyphics  in  their  winged  ragged- 
ness."  The  young  king  appears  on  the  balcony  and  they  are 
permitted  to  see  his  face.  If  he  does  not  read  their  written 
appeal,  he  sees  it  in  their  pitiable  condition.  The  response 
of  the  king  is  an  order,  that  two  of  them  be  hanged.  The 
rest  are  sent  back  to  their  miserable  hovels  with  a  warning 
not  to  give  the  king  any  more  trouble. 

Mirabeau,  a  French  writer,  describes  a  similar  scene 
that  occurs  later  that  same  year.  "The  savages  descending 
in  torrents  from  the  mountains  our  people  are  ordered  not 
to  go  out.  The  bagpipes  begin  to  play,  but  the  dance  in  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  is  interrupted  by  a  battle.  The  cries  of 
children  and  infirm  persons  incite  them,  as  the  rabble  does 
when  dogs  fight.  The  men,  like  frightful  wild  animals,  are 
clad  in  coarse  woollen  jackets  with  large  girdles  of  leather 
studded  with  copper  nails.  Their  gigantic  stature  is  height- 
ened by  high  wooden  clogs.  Their  faces  are  haggard  and 
covered  with  long  greasy  hair.  The  upper  part  of  their  vis- 
age waxes  pale,  while  the  lower  distorts  itself  into  a  cruel 
laugh,  or  the  appearance  of  a  ferocious  impatience." 

These  proceedings  are  a  protest  of  the  common  people, 
of  whom  there  are  twenty  millions,  against  government  by 
blind-man's-buff.  These  people,  paying  their  taxes,  are  pro- 
testing against  corrupt  officials  depriving  them  of  their 
salt  and  sugar,  in  order  to  maintain  royal  and  official  ex- 
travagance. Stumbling  too  far  prepares  the  way  for  a  gen- 
eral overturn. 

MORAL  AND  FINANCIAL  BANKRUPTCY 
There  is  no  visible  government.     Its  principal  repre- 
sentative is  the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer,  or  king's  treas- 
urer; and  "Deficit  of  revenue"  is  his  constant  announce- 
ment, to  the  feudal  lords,  who  exercise  local  government. 


422  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

In  1787  Cardinal  Lomenie  becomes  the  king's  new  treas- 
urer. His  predecessor  has  been  ousted  because  the  treas- 
ury was  bankrupt,  but  his  unscrupulous  methods  continue 
to  be  adopted  because  no  better  ones  can  be  devised.  As 
late  as  the  next  year  the  cardinal  demands  the  infliction  of 
the  death  penalty  on  all  Protestant  preachers. 

The  period  has  become  one  of  spiritual  and  moral  bank- 
ruptcy. The  Bible  has  been  suppressed  and  blind  human 
reason  has  been  exalted.  There  is  no  bond  of  morality  to 
hold  the  people  together.  Men  become  slaves  of  their  lusts 
and  appetites,  and  society,  a  mass  of  sensuality,  rascality 
and  falsehood.  Infidelity,  despotism  and  general  bank- 
ruptcy prevail  every  where.  There  is  no  royal  authority 
and  the  palace  of  justice  at  Versailles  is  closed. 

The  poverty  and  misery,  experienced  by  the  peasants 
in  their  comfortless  hovels,  awakens  a  feeling  of  discontent 
and  protest.  This  feeling  of  protest,  among  the  poor  and 
illiterate,  permeates  upward  and  becomes  more  intense  as  it 
proceeds.  In  this  unorganized  protest  the  hand  of  one  is  ar- 
rayed against  his  fellow  man.  The  common  people  are  ar- 
rayed against  the  nobles ;  the  nobles,  against  each  other,  and 
both  nobles  and  people  are  bitter  against  the  government. 
Townships  are  arrayed  against  townships  and  towns  against 
towns.  Gibbets  are  erected  everywhere  and  a  dozen  wretch- 
ed bodies  may  be  seen  hanging  in  a  row.  The  mayor  of 
Vaison  is  buried  alive;  the  mayor  of  Etampes,  defending  a 
supply  of  food,  is  trampled  to  death  by  a  mob  exasperated 
with  hunger,  and  the  mayor  of  Saint  Denis  is  hung  at  Lan- 
terne.  The  ripening  grain  is  left  ungathered  in  the  fields, 
and  the  fruit  of  the  vineyards  is  trodden  under  foot.  The 
bloody  cruelty  of  universal  madness  prevails  everywhere. 

A  frightful  hail  storm,  that  destroys  the  grain  and 


HALF-CENTURY  OF  BIBLE  SUPPRESSION  423 

fruits  of  the  year  at  the  beginning  of  harvest,  is  followed 
by  a  severe  drought  in  1788.  Foulon,  an  official  grown  gray 
in  treachery  and  iniquity,  when  asked, 

"What  will  the  people  do?"  makes  response, 

"The  people  may  eat  grass." 

The  royal  government  is  now  described,  as  existing 
only  for  its  own  benefit;  without  right,  except  possession; 
and  now  also  without  might.  "It  foresees  nothing,  and  has 
no  purpose,  except  to  maintain  its  own  existence.  It  is 
wholly  a  vortex  in  which  vain  counsels,  falsehoods,  intrigues 
and  imbecilities  whirl  like  withered  rubbish  in  the  meeting 
of  the  winds." 

Commerce  of  all  kinds,  as  far  as  possible,  has  come  to  a 
dead  pause,  and  the  hand  of  the  industrious  is  idle.  Many 
of  the  people  subsist  on  meal-husks  and  boiled  grass.  Arm- 
ed Brigands  begin  to  make  their  appearance  and  a  "reign 
of  terror,"  is  ushered  in. 

FIRST  POPULAR  ASSEMBLY 

On  May  4,  1789,  the  first  popular  assembly  meets  at 
Versailles,  more  churches  than  other  buildings  having  been 
used  as  polling  places,  at  this  first  election  in  France.  The 
assembly  is  composed  of  nobles,  clergy  and  commoners,  the 
last  representing  the  people. 

Six  "parlements,"  consisting  only  of  nobles,  have  pre- 
viously been"  convened  by  the  king's  treasurer,  and  as  often 
have  been  dismissed  by  the  king,  because  they  were  not 
willing  to  tax  themselves  more,  to  increase  the  revenues  of 
the  king.  In  this  assembly,  there  are  six  hundred  com- 
moners, who,  when  the  king  dismissed  the  assembly,  under 
the  leadership  of  Mirabeau  refused  to  be  dismissed,  and 
bind  themselves  by  an  oath,  to  remain  in  session,  until  they 
have  framed  and  adopted  a  constitution. 


424  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

This  act  of  the  commoners  is  the  beginning  of  the 
French  Revolution.  This  Revolution  has  been  defined,  as 
"An  open,  violent  rebellion  and  victory  of  unimprisoned 
anarchy,  against  corrupt  worn-out  authority;  breaking 
prison,  raging  uncontrollable  and  enveloping  a  world  in 
fever  frenzy,  until  the  mad  forces  are  made  to  work  toward 
their  object,  as  sane  and  regulated  ones." 

These  commoners  are  shut  out  of  their  hall  and  their 
signatures  are  attached  to  their  oath  in  a  tennis  court. 
They  are  later  joined  by  Lafayette,  the  friend  of  Washing- 
ton, and  by  other  nobles  and  149  Roman  clergy.  They  are 
treated  offensively,  but  cannot  be  offended.  They  are  ani- 
mated with  a  desire  to  prepare  a  constitution,  that  will  re- 
generate France,  abolish  the  old  order  and  usher  in  a  new 
one. 

Paris,  always  very  demonstrative  under  excitement, 
grows  wild  with  enthusiasm  for  the  commoners,  and  others, 
who  compose  their  first  National  Assembly.  They  go  sim- 
mering and  dancing,  thinking  they  are  shaking  off  some- 
thing old  and  advancing  to  something  new.  They  have 
hope  in  their  hearts,  the  hope  of  an  unutterable  universal 
golden  age,  and  nothing  but  freedom,  equality  and  brother- 
hood on  their  lips.  Their  hopes,  however,  are  based  on  noth- 
ing but  the  "vapory  vagaries  of  unenlightened  human  rea- 
son," instead  of  the  unchanging  truths  and  principles  of 
Divine  Revelation.  They  experience  an  indescribable  terror, 
of  the  unnumbered  hordes  of  Europe  rallying  against  them, 
in  addition  to  the  constant  dread  of  their  own  cruel,  armed 
brigands  and  inhuman  official  executioners. 

Unfortunately  the  commoners  had  not  been  previously 
trained  in  the  art  of  statesmanship,  and  after  a  long  ses- 
sion, that  lasted  until  September  14,  1791,  the  constitution 
then  proposed  was  still  incomplete,  and  had  to  be  submitted 


HALF-CENTURY  OF  BIBLE  SUPPRESSION      425 

to  another  assembly  to  be  completed.  They  however  accom- 
plish some  things  worthy  of  note.  In  1789  they  abolish  feud- 
alism, root  and  branch;  and  the  payment  of  tithes.  The 
latter  meant  the  separation  of  church  and  state,  in  matters 
of  support  and  government;  and  this  event  seemed  to  the 
deists,  like  a  time  of  Pentecost. 

REPUBLIC  OF  FRANCE 

On  Sept.  22,  1792  the  Republic  of  France  is  declared. 
On  Jan.  1,  1793,  King  Louis  XVI,  who  had  become  a  runa- 
way king,  and  on  October  16th  following,  Marie  Antoinette, 
the  queen,  are  executed.  These  events  are  followed  by  an- 
other reign  of  terror,  the  plundering  of  churches  and  a  war 
with  Spain. 

The  Republic  of  France,  when  first  established,  proves 
to  be  one  of  a  mob,  robbing  and  murdering  those,  who  had 
property.  The  people  become  despotic  as  soon  as  they  have 
disposed  of  their  useless  king,  and  queen.  There  were  only 
nine  prisoners  in  the  bastile,  when  it  was  destroyed,  but 
now  in  two  days  and  under  the  name  of  liberty,  eight  thous- 
and innocent  persons  are  massacred  in  prison.  Walter  Scott 
in  his  Life  of  Napoleon  adds:  "Three  hundred  thousand 
other  persons,  one  third  of  whom  are  women,  are  ruthlessly 
committed  to  prison,"  the  executioners  usurping  the  place 
of  the  judges  and,  without  trial,  pronouncing  sentence 
against  them".  Their  watchwords,  while  the  Revolution  con- 
tinues, are,  "Unity,  Brotherhood  or  Death."  These  principles 
are  enforced  by  edicts  of  exile,  imprisonment,  or  death  by 
the  guillotine. 

REIGN  OF  TERROR 

This  reign  of  terror  continues  until  July  28,  1794,  when 
the  cruel  hearted  Robespierre  and  his  consorts  are  con- 


426  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

demned  to  death  on  the  guillotine,  a  cunningly  devised  be- 
heading machine,  on  which  he  had  been  practicing  with  in- 
nocent and  helpless  victims,  for  twenty-two  years. 

In  1795  a  new  constitution  is  adopted,  and  after  the 
suppression  of  a  number  of  bloody  riots  and  insurrections 
that  year,  by  the  young  Napoleon  with  his  batteries  of 
artillery,  public  order  is  restored  and  the  Revolution  is  re- 
garded as  ended. 

PEOPLE  UNPREPARED  FOR  FREEDOM 

These  are  but  a  few  of  the  many  riotous  and  disorderly 
events  that  occurred  in  France  just  at  the  close  of  the 
American  Revolution,  in  which  Lafayette  co-operated  with 
so  much  honor  to  himself  and  his  country.  These  suffice 
to  show  how  unprepared  the  people  were  for  any  great  or 
concerted  movement,  and  how  destitute  the  nation  was  of 
men,  fit  to  serve  as  leaders  in  thought  and  action,  until  the 
rise  of  Napoleon  with  his  genuis  for  military  affairs. 
Mirabeau,  their  first  trusted  leader,  dies  before  the  end  of 
their  first  assembly.  Lafayette,  a  prominent  member  of  the 
first  assembly,  when  made  military  commander  at  Paris, 
finds  the  rabble  will  not  listen  to  his  counsels,  and  he  re- 
signs. In  1782  he  makes  another  attempt  to  re-instate 
authority  in  Paris,  and  the  attempt  proving  a  failure  he  re- 
tires from  further  participation  in  public  affairs. 

No  one  is  able  to  anticipate  the  next  movement  of  the 
populace,  or  win  and  hold  their  confidence,  any  length  of 
time.  One  event  follows  another  "explosively."  Men,  fear- 
ing to  remain  longer  in  their  huts  or  homes,  f  ugitively  rush 
with  wives  and  children,  they  know  not  whither.  Under  the 
the  leadership  of  the  infidels,  Rosseau  and  Robespierre, 
they  experience  terrors  such  as  had  not  fallen  on  any  na- 
tion, since  the  fall  of  Jerusalem. 


HALF-CENTURY  OF  BIBLE  SUPPRESSION      427 

INSURRECTION  OF  WOMEN 

An  insurrection  of  women  is  suddenly  started  in  Paris, 
in  October  1789,  at  the  call  of  a  young  woman  who  seizes 
a  drum  and  cries  aloud,  "Descend  0  Mothers;  Descend  ye 
Judiths  to  food  and  revenge !"  Ten  thousand  women,  quick- 
ly responding  to  this  call,  press  through  the  military  guard 
to  the  armory  in  Hotel  de  Ville,  and  when  supplied  with 
arms  march  on  foot  to  Versailles,  and,  taking  the  king  and 
his  family  captives,  bring  them  and  the  National  Assembly 
to  Paris  the  next  day,  October  5th,  followed  by  a  good  natur- 
ed  crowd,  estimated  at  200,000.  Now  that  the  king  occupies 
the  palace  of  the  Tuileries  at  Paris,  the  people  hungry,  but 
hopeful,  shake  hands  in  the  happiest  mood,  and  assure  one 
another  "the  New  Era  has  been  born." 

RESULTS 

The  principal  results  of  the  French  Revolution  may  be 
briefly  summarized  as  follows: 

Good  riddance  of  a  half  century  line,  of  worse  than 
useless,  atheistic  kings  and  queens;  the  suppression  of  the 
tyrannous  feudal  system,  that  prevented  the  common  people 
from  acquiring  ownership  of  land,  the  suppression  of  the 
bastile,  a  feudal  prison  and  robber  den,  and  of  the  guillotine ; 
the  suppression  of  religious  persecution,  and  the  separation 
of  church  and  state  in  matters  of  government  and  support ; 
and  the  adoption  of  a  constitution,  that  provides  for  the  peo- 
ple to  have  a  voice,  in  the  management  of  the  affairs  of  the 
government. 

LAND  OF  CALVIN  AND  LAFAYETTE 

France  is  the  land  that  gave  birth  and  education  to 
John  Calvin,  the  pioneer  advocate  of  civil  and  religious  liber- 
ty, and  in  his  day  the  good  work  of  the  Reformers  had 
gained  an  encouraging  foot  hold  in  his  native  land,  but  after 


428  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

the  lapse  of  a  century  of  cruel  extermination,  one  looks  in 
vain  to  see  the  expected  fruits  of  his  great  work.  A  cen- 
tury, of  Bible  suppression  and  persecution  of  Bible  readers, 
has  left  the  people  in  ignorance  of  the  Word  of  God,  which 
is  the  Light  and  Life  of  the  World,  and  in  its  place  catholic- 
ism  and  infidelity,  like  hoar  frosts  or  destructive  black 
clouds,  have  spread  over  the  land.  Oppressed  with  a  feel- 
ing of  need  and  seeking  something  not  clearly  defined,  the 
people  grope  in  darkness  and  stumble  on  events,  as  if  play- 
ing blind-man's-buff.  The  one  hundred  and  forty-nine  Ro- 
man clergy  in  the  first  assembly  are  so  lacking  in  intelli- 
gence and  patriotism,  they  exert  no  special  influence  worthy 
of  note. 

Very  different  were  the  scenes  that  Lafayette  witness- 
ed, during  the  period  he  co-operated  with  the  colonies  of 
America,  in  their  struggles  for  liberty  and  independence. 
Here  he  met  many  of  the  descendants  of  the  very  people, 
whom  the  bitter  persecutions  in  France  had  driven  to  this 
country.  Many  of  them,  as  early  settlers  in  New  York, 
Pennsylvania,  Delaware  and  Virginia,  exerted  a  considerable 
influence,  in  moulding  the  character  of  the  American  people. 
He  found  all  the  people  engaging  intelligently  in  the  cause 
of  freedom.  Their  leaders  knew  what  they  were  endeavor- 
ing to  achieve,  and  every  movement  was  characterized  by 
good  order,  patriotism  and  superior  wisdom. 

ROMANISM  BEHIND  THE  TIMES 
This  historic  contrast  of  the  good  fruits  of  the  open 
Bible  among  the  people  in  America,  with  the  sad  and  de- 
plorable results  of  Romanism  and  infidelity  in  France,  pre- 
vious to  the  great  revolutions,  that  occurred  in  both  coun- 
tries in  the  days  of  Lafayette,  is  certainly  very  interest- 
ing and  instructive. 


HALF-CENTURY  OF  BIBLE  SUPPRESSION      429 

Other  countries  in  which  Romanism  has  been  dominant 
and  the  Bible  suppressed,  as  Ireland,  Spain,  Mexico,  the 
Philippine  Islands  and  the  states  of  Central  and  South 
America,  show  a  similar  unfavorable  contrast.  In  South 
America,  where  Romanism  has  suppressed  the  Bible  for 
centuries,  only  two  percent  of  all  the  college  students  in 
1913,  according  to  Bishop  Kensolving  of  the  Episcopal 
church  in  Brazil,  "affirm  their  allegiance  to  any  religious 
faith." 

In  Spain,  according  to  a  recent  issue  of  the  Herald  of 
Madrid,  there  are  30,000  towns  and  rural  villages,  that  are 
yet  without  schools  of  any  kind.  There  are  thousands  of 
the  people  whose  homes  can  be  reached  only  by  bridle-paths. 
They  lack  schools,  roads  and  railroads.  Seventy-six  per  cent 
of  the  children  and  youth  are  unable  to  read  and  write.  In 
Spain,  Mexico  and  South  America,  Romanism  has  proven 
itself  to  be,  but  little  more  than  a  pious  form  af  paganism, 
an  oppressive  and  wide-spread  relic  of  ancient,  pagan  Rome. 

During  the  two  hundred  years  preceding  the  Revolu- 
tion in  France  no  one  was  ever  persecuted  for  being  an 
atheist,  deist,  infidel  or  Roman  catholic,  but  all  of  these 
united  in  suppressing  the  general  use  of  the  Bible  and  the 
presence  of  Bible  readers,  to  the  great  injury  of  the  public 
welfare.  If  that  country  had  not  foolishly  and  wickedly  ex- 
terminated the  people,  that  were  fast  becoming  Bible  read- 
ers at  the  time  of  the  Reformation,  it  would  no  doubt  have 
been  saved  from  many  of  the  blind  and  bloody  scenes  of 
the  period  of  the  Revolution. 

Romanism,  by  suppressing  the  Bible,  encourages  ignor- 
ance, superstition  and  bigotry.  It  also  tends  to  break  down 
the  sanctity  of  the  Sabbath  as  the  Lord's  day ;  winks  at  the 
liquor  traffic,  and  by  its  confessional  strikes  at  the  very 


430  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

foundation  of  free  manhood,  freedom  of  thought  and  liber- 
ty of  conscience. 

This  contrast,  shows  clearly  that  Romanism,  whatever 
good  it  may  have  done,  is  now  many  centuries  behind  the 
times.  This  is  a  very  serious  defect.  It  has  the  Bible,  a 
latin  version  called  the  Vulgate  which  it  claims  as  its  own. 
It  has  the  New  Testament  and  for  that  reason  it  is  classed 
as  a  christian  religion.  It  has  however,  opposed  and  sup- 
pressed the  reading  of  the  Bible  by  the  people,  lest  the 
spread  of  intelligence,  through  a  personal  knowledge  of  its 
contents,  would  lessen  the  respect  and  obedience  of  the 
people  to  the  false  claims  of  the  pope,  clerical  orders  and 
priesthood. 

Several  generations  of  slave  holders  in  this  country 
gave  this  same  reason,  as  a  good  one  for  not  providing  edu- 
cational facilities  for  their  slaves,  fearing  that  intelligence, 
which  greatly  increases  the  value  of  the  workman,  would 
tend  to  lessen  their  authority  over  them.  It  serves  to  il- 
lustrate the  old  worn-out  adage,  that  "might  makes  right," 
instead  of  the  newer  and  better  one,  "God  is  with  the  right." 

The  ability  to  rule,  in  both  cases,  is  based  on  the  ignor- 
ance, instead  of  the  intelligence  of  the  subject.  When  thus 
expressed  in  plain  words,  it  certainly  does  not  sound  very 
creditable,  or  as  if  it  were  the  best  policy.  It  is  not  un- 
charitable to  say,  that  as  a  policy,  it  is  "out  of  date."  Our 
Lord  Jesus  was  a  teacher  as  well  as  Saviour.  He  went  from 
place  to  place,  teaching  and  encouraging  the  people  to 
"search  the  scriptures,"  that  they  might  know,  what  to  be- 
lieve concerning  Him,  in  order  to  inherit  eternal  life  and 
"have  life  more  abundantly." 

This  is  one  of  the  good  features  of  Protestantism.  It 
is  based  on  a  personal  knowledge  of  the  Bible  and  the  gen- 


HALF-CENTURY  OF  BIBLE  SUPPRESSION      431 

eral  intelligence  of  the  people.    Its  motto  is  "Let  the  Light 
Shine."    Truth  is  mighty  and  in  the  end  will  prevail,  for 
"justice  and  judgment  are  the  habitation  of  God's  throne." 
HUMAN  REASON  BLIND 

When  the  Bible  was  suppressed  in  France  and  human 
reason  exalted,  all  the  infernal  elements  of  a  depraved  hu- 
man nature  held  high  carnival.  Enthusiasm  and  fanati- 
cism, the  allies  of  ignorance  and  superstition,  caused  the 
people  to  think  and  act  wildly.  If  in  his  heart  there  is  no 
devout  faith,  to  develop  the  sense  of  personal  responsibility 
and  duty,  man  becomes  ready  for  any  evil  under  the  sun. 
Sin,  however,  has  been  and  always  will  be  the  parent  of 
misery.  "The  wages  of  sin  is  death."  This  one  terrific  ex- 
periment, of  a  half-century  in  France  without  the  Bible, 
should  be  enough  for  a  thousand  worlds,  through  countless 
years." 

LIGHT,  LIFE  AND  LIBERTY 

The  life-giving  wo**d  of  Divine  Truth  is  the  salt,  that 
preserves  learning  and  a  sense  of  personal  obligation  to  do 
that  which  is  right,  amid  the  changing  scenes  of  time  and 
life.  Learning  is  knowledge  based  on  fact,  and  not  on  fiction 
or  unbelief.  Duty  as  a  practical  matter  has  regard  for  that 
"righteousness,  that  exalteth  a  nation."  as  well  as  the  sal- 
vation that  saves  the  individual. 

"Ye  shall  know  the  truth  and  the  truth  shall  make 
you  free."  A  knowledge  of  the  truth  tends  to  produce  that 
self-restraint,  that  is  essential  to  freedom ;  and  that  sense  of 
duty  and  right,  that  results  in  faithful  public  service.  Gen- 
uine liberty  has  never  been  realized,  where  there  has  not 
been  also  an  intelligent  self-restraint. 

The  fundamental  principle  of  the  Reformation  was  ex- 
pressed by  Luther  as  follows :  "The  Word  of  God,  the  whole 
Word  of  God,  and  nothing  but  the  Word  of  God." 


432  CHOCTAW  FREEDMEN 

This  was  based  on  the  following  passage  from  Augus- 
tine in  the  fourth  century:  "I  have  learned  to  pay  to  the 
canonical  books  alone,  the  honor  of  believing  very  firmly, 
that  none  of  them  has  erred ;  as  to  others,  I  believe  not  what 
they  say,  for  the  simple  reason,  that  it  is  they  who  say  it ;" 
and  the  previous  saying  of  Paul,  "Should  we,  or  an  angel 
from  heaven,  preach  any  other  gospel  unto  you,  than  that 
which  we  have  preached  unto  you,  let  him  be  accursed,  for 
it  is  written,  the  just  shall  live  by  faith." 

This  principle  of  the  Reformation  appears  in  our  com- 
mon form  of  attestation,  "The  truth,  the  whole  truth  and 
nothing  but  the  truth ;"  and  in  the  patriotic  motto  of  Penn- 
sylvania, "Virtue,  Liberty  and  Independence." 

Think  on  these  things.  Search  the  scriptures.  Know 
that  the  Bible  is  the  Word  of  God  to  all  people,  that  it  is 
the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  and  the  Truth  that  makes  you  free. 
The  Master  hath  need  and  calleth  for  thee.  Be  of  good 
courage.  Be  loyal  to  the  truth  and  let  it  shine  through 
you. 

THE  END 


INDEX 


Ahrens,  Bertha  L 127,  154,  289,  300,  310 

Aid  Society    300 

Allen,  Fredonia   149 

Allotment  of  lands 3,  154 

Alverson,  Noah  S 289,  342 

Apiary 294 

Arch  of  Character 257 

Arnold,  Olivia,  Mrs.  R.  D 378 

Baird,  Phil  C.  D.  D 226,  325 

Bartholomew  St.  Massacre  77 

Bashears,  Charles 287 

Beatty,  Doll  353 

Bees,  Double  Swarm   299 

Becker,  Mary  0 141 

Benediction,  Endeavor 259 

Bethel,  M.  L 226,  353 

Bethesda  Mission   70 

Bibbs,  Samuel  S.  151 ;  Lee,  Charles 287-9 

Bible,  first  book,  71 ;  Cause  of  Reformation,  76 ;  in  Public 

School,  35,391 ;  Memorized,  173 ;  Uplifting  Power,  181 ; 

Only  Standard  of  Morality 406 

Biddle  University   70 

Boggs,  V.  P.  Mrs 90,  158 

Boll  Weevil 218.  290 

Books,  Value  of 256 

Book  Marks   267 

Boys'  Hall 135,  204,  217 

Brasco,  Livingston   192 

Brackeen,   Rosetta    275 

Brown,  Lucretia  C.  151,  224 ;  Matt 379 

(433) 


434  INDEX 

Buds  of  Promise 146 

Buchanan,  Solomon 160,  224,  300,  322 

Building  the  Temple 227 

Burrows,  Emma   137 

Butler,  William  Rev.  148,  183,    226,    290,    370;    Elijah 

378,381 

Calvin,  John 72,  427 

Campbell,  Anna  E 108,  112,  119 

Candidates  for  Ministry 276,  342 

Carroll,  William  H.  Rev 159,  224,  289,  327 

Character,  Formed 33,  157,  227,  241 

Chautauqua,   First    277 

Cherokees 7,  19 

Chickasaws 7 

Choctaws   7,  14 

Claypool,  John  Mrs 159,  318 

Clear  Creek 11 

Churches:  Beaver  Dam,  Oak  Hill  (101),  New  Hope,  St. 

Paul,  Mt.  Gilead .345 

Colbert,  Richard  D.  Rev 146,  353,  373 

Concert,  Closing   326 

Constitutional  Amendments   49 

Cowan,  Edward  L.  Rev 91 

Craig,  Carrie   137 

Crabtree,  James  R 277,  353 

Crawford,   Dan    40 

Creek  Indians    8 

Crittenden,  Henry 101,  109,  377 

Crusaders   67 

Crowe,  Carrie,  Mrs.  M.  E 116,  137,  142 

Daly,  Sam 200 

Decision  Days 183,  192 

Doaksville 29 


INDEX  435 

Domestic  Training   198 

Donaldson,  Mary  A 160,  321 

Donors,  Oak  Hill 305 

Early,  Lou  K 137,  193 

Eaton,  Adelia  M 155,  159,  288,  315 

Education 62,  93 

Edwards,  John  Rev 15,  22,  105 

Elliott,  Alice  Lee,  David IV,  212 

Elliot  Hall II,  205,  208,  210,  326 

Emancipation  Day 42,  292 

Farewell    331 

Farmer's  Institutes    287 

Fields,  Rilla   137 

Fisher,  Jessie 137 

Flag,  Salute   268 

Flickinger,  R.  E.  and  Mrs 155,160,308 

Flournoy,  William  R 329,  353 

Folsom,  Iserina,  Martha,  137,    149;    Samuel,    150,    160, 

224;  Simon 330,  378 

Forest  Church 125,  130 

Fort  Towson    28 

France,  Bible  Suppressed   418 

France,  Republic  of   425 

Freedmen,  Homeless,  42 ;  Choctaw 65 

Fruits,  Bulletin 256,  330 

Gaston,  John  Rev 91 

Gideons 417 

Girls  Hall,  Weimer  Photo 109,  132,  210 

Gladman,  Samuel  Rev 373 

Going  to  School 274 

Gordon,  Mary,  Lela,  Inez 137,  275 

Gossard,  Verne   137 

Graces  at  Meals   279 


436  INDEX 

Grandfather  Clause 51 

Green,  Fannie   137 

Hall,  Malinda  A 149,  224,  277,  289,  320 

Harris,  Nannie,  Sam,  149,  300,  379 ;  New  Home  of  Cath- 
erine     406 

Hartford,  Eliza   107,  115,  121 

Haymaker,  Edward  G.  and  Mrs 108,  134,  339,  379 

Haymaker,  Priscilla  G 108,  111,  118 

Hawley,  Rev.  F.  W 301 

Headache  299 

Health  Hints  298 

Hen  House  295 

Highland  Park  College 199 

Hodges,  Celestine 147,  149 

Homer,  Wiley  Rev 148,  226,  277,  352,  360 

Homer,  Hattie,  Mary,  Susan 147 

Homes,  Representative    406 

Huguenots  of  France 75 

Hunter,  Anna,  Mattie  116,  137 

Huss,  John 70 

Idleness 247 

Improvements 166,  202 

Independent  Ownership  of  Land 78,  193,  197 

Indian  Schools  and  Churches 15 

Indian  Territory,  Slavery 7,  19,  106 

Inquisition,  The 76 

Intolerance,  Rise  and  Fall 408 

Investments   272 

Johnson,  Isaac  277,  291,  378 

Jones,  Edward  T.  149;  Josie,  137,  379;  Fannie,  Marie 

Martha 147,  149 

Key  Words 260 

Kingsbury,,  Cyrus,  Rev 28,  65,  105 


INDEX  437 

Knox,  John    75 

Lafayette,  Land  of 427 

Land  Funds  303 

Lee,  Lilly  E 137 

Liberty,  Civil,  Religious 81,  431 

Licentiates   276 

Lincoln,  Abraham 172 

Lincoln  University   71,  88 

Log  House,  Old 109,  257 

Luther,  Martin  72,  431 

Massacres  of  Bible  Readers  77 

Maxims,  Character,  Success 241 

McBride,  James  F.  and  Mrs 131,  136 

McGuire,  James    117 

McNiell,  Sudie  B 224 

Meadows,  Plant  S.,  Rev 326,  353 

Memory  Trained   175 

Methodism,  Rise  of 80 

Ministers,  Dearth  of,  Teachers 340,  342 

Moore,  Ruby 160 

Mottoes,  Wall    259 

Murchison,  Fidelia 148,  287 

Mexico 418 

Negro,  American,  Voices 39,  59,  96 

Newspapers,  First    82 

Normals,   Summer    275 

Oak  Hill,  Church,  School,  12,  101,  103;  Groups  in  1902 

and    1903    299 

Orchestra,  Buchanan,  Flournoy,  Dixon,  Ashley  and  Alon- 
za  McLellan,  Clarence    and    Herbert    Peete,    Harris, 

Smith 274 

Painting 297 

Park  College    194 


438  INDEX 

Perkins,  Charles,  Fidelia 149,  355,  378 

Perry,  Ora  Maxie 160,  294 

Picnics 282 

Pig  Pen 203,  295 

Pledges,  Endeavor,  Self-help   169 

Porto  Rico   394 

Prayers,  Forms  of   280 

Presbyterian  Church,  Board 84,  90 

Presbytery,  Indian,  Meetings 17,  282 

Presbytery,  Kiamichi;  at  right,  Homer,  Onque,  Bibbs, 
Alverson,  Bridges,  Starks,  Crabtree,  Frazier,  Harris, 
Richard ;  3d  row,  Elisha  Butler,  Mills,  Wm.  Butler,  Ed- 
munds, Lewis   335,  352 

Prince,  Caroline,  Henry 406 

Pulling  Stumps,  Percy,  Ashley,  Alonza,  Dee,  Mark,  Her- 
bert, Thomas    207,  298 

Reformation,  the   72,  392 

Reid,  Alexander,  Rev 15,  23,  105.  146 

Richard,  Everett 224 

Romanism,  Behind  Times   428 

Rules,   Mottoes    259 

Rutherford,   Matthew    121 

Sands,  Rev.  Marie  Jones 148 

Schools,  Colonial  395 

Scott,  Mary 137,  299 

Seats,  Celestine 275 

Seed  Corn,  Cotton,  Improved 298 

Self-control,  Education 174,  244,  247 

Self-help,  Support 163,  185 

Shaw,  Sadie 137 

Shoals,  John  Ross,  Johnson 149,  277,  287,  378 

Shoals,  Virginia  Woff ord,  Perry   148,  160 

Study,  Course    268 


INDEX  439 

Success,  What,  How  Attained 260 

Sunday  Schools 80,  271,  413 

Sweepers,  Rosetta,  Mary,  Helen,  Beatrice  Emma  Evelina, 

Ellen    274 

Synod  of  Canadian 382 

Spain  429 

Teachers,  Christian,  Aim  of 36.  266,  270 

Teachers  in  1899,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haymaker,  Anna  Hunter 
(sitting),  Mrs.  M.  E.  Crowe,  Visitor,  Josie  Jones ;  photo 

by  Mattie  Hunter 379 

Uncle  Wallace   25 

Uplifting  Influences,  Inventions 65,  82 

Vacation  Workers 188 

Valliant  12 

Voice   Culture    157 

Wallace,  Sarah  L 160 

Waldo,   Waldenses    69 

Washington,  Booker  T 199 

Watt,   Lizzie    150 

Webster,   Daniel    410 

Weimer,  Mary  1 159,  193,  275,  318 

Weith,  Rev.  Charles  C 278 

Westminister  Assembly 79 

Wiclif,  John 70 

Williams,  Henry,  Virginia  147,  149 

Wit,  Humor   257 

Wheelock   Academy    21 

Wolcott,  Jo  Lu 159,  320 

Working  by  Rule 162,  208,  264 

Women's  Miss.  Soc.  Oak  Hill,  304 ;  Synod 386 


CORRECTIONS 

Page  203,  Line  22,  read  "pigpen,"  instead  of  "loghouse. 
Page  403,  Line  9,  read  "1812,"  instead  of  "1892." 


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